baby in a bike seat on a mission

Addie and I went on an adventure yesterday.

Mission: ride my new bike (with new baby seat & cutest 8 month old) to a used children's resale store and look for some winter gear & jammies. We were then going to stop at the grocery store on the way home for 2 items & maybe at the park if time permitted.

We started out excited & lookin' pretty cute. 

In less than 800 feet, we had to pull over. Addie was already crying. I get off the bike and realize the helmet is covering her face. Hmm. A VERY NICE passerby with 2 cute dogs offered to hold the bike steady while I get Addie situated. Addie stopped crying to stare at the dogs as the helmet came off & went back on again. Thank you, kind sir, whoever you are.

And we were back off, riding along as I notice for the first time how bumpy it is riding along the road. Only because I can hear Addie's helmet tapping against the side of her seat.  Sweet girl! And the fussing crescendos into a fortissimo level... 5 minutes further, and we pull over again.  Again, the helmet is all the way over her face.  So, I take it off & this time it breaks. That's quality for ya, folks. [For the record, I may buy generic peanut butter and resale kids' clothe, but we were not skimping in the baby helmet department. This was like the best infant helmet on Amazon & the one the bike shops around here carry.]

So, we only have a few more minutes to go... off comes the helmet. Yes, I know, please don't freak out. We make it to our destination, and as it turns out, this store has seen better days. NOTHING like good old Once Upon a Child, which was a chain we had in Lincoln.  Oh my. This place is a dump a little shabby. But, gosh darnit, we made it here, it took 5 minutes to lock up the bike & that sweet baby girl needed a break from the bike seat, so, in we went. Addie didn't care that it was dumpy - she liked the toys just the same. So, she sat and played while I browsed.

Me: "Are the girl's clothes by size or category, by chance?"
Worker: "Um, I don't know... I don't really do the clothes. I think they start out by size at the beginning of the season, but you know, people change their minds and stuff gets disorganized."
Me: "okay, thank you."
browse for a bit.
Me: "Excuse me, miss, where are your winter clothes for girls? Like coats or hats...?"
Worker: "Um, I don't think we put those out until the fall. Yeah, we put them out in September."
[In my mind - it is August 29 & 65 degrees is the high all week...]
Me: "oh, okay, thank you."

They did have an AWESOME wooden block set.

She told me it was European... guess they don't carry these fancy blocks in the U.S. of A. Painted European blocks. I think our coolness factor just went up 5 or 6 points.

Paid for the blocks & headed back outside. Helmet is still broken, so we go the bike shop on the way home. They have the same helmet, but the owner says he's never seen that happen. So, we figure ours is a fluke. I buy one from him, intending to return mine. The exact same thing happens before we are out the door.  And somehow, when it happens, it must hurt Addie. Because she begins to scream. You know the cry... the cry where you see it in their face before you hear noise. Her face gets crinkly and contorted and she looks ticked and then after a huge breath, silence, and then.. WAHHHHH!!!!!
The bike shop owner was clearly overwhelmed by my screaming baby.  So I asked to return the helmet. And then I called Ben asking him to come meet us. After I asked that, I renigged my request because it was clearly faster for me to just ride home & I was thinking irrationally at this point.

Abort mission. Just get home. No grocery store. No leisurely ride to the park. Get home now. 

Addie calmed down some, but was basically headed toward meltdown mode. Ben met us out front of the building and put my bike away as I pushed Addie in the front yard swing a few times.

I was excited to score those painted blocks. (Did I mention they were European? hahahaha)
but overall, I'd say...

Mission Status: Failure. 

There's always next time! 
Plus, the blocks are a hit. Or at least a good snack.