I took the girls to lunch at Subway on Monday and we stopped into Big Lots to pick up some candy conversation hearts. (yeah, yeah, I know I vowed last week never to take two kids to a store again, but...I was jonesing for candy hearts).

Outside the store, I warned them that they had to stay with me and I wasn't buying anything buy candy hearts.

But, of course, they found some Easter items they couldn't live without. Lauren wanted some bunny-shaped fillable plastic eggs, Kelly wanted some egg-shaped bath soap. Each item was only a $1, and normally I'd have bought it just to quiet them.

But, I've been realizing how silly that is. Rarely do they play with the items once they have them, and, worse, every time we go to a store, they expect me to buy them something.

So, I held my ground. "No, I said no toys. We just came to get candy. Let's go."

Wailing, whining and major dawdling ensued.

I paid for the candy and we left.

Two steps outside the door I realized Kelly was looking at me funny. She turned her hand over and there, in her hand, was the soap I told her she couldn't have. She'd taken it. And, she knew it was wrong.

I did what any mommy would do and marched her right back in the store to hand that egg back over to employee behind the counter. I made her apologize. I made sure she understood what she did was wrong. And, when her Dad got home, I made her tell him what she did.

I don't think she'll do that again anytime soon -- and neither will her little sister who was there to witness the whole scene.