Toddler Tantrum Idol auditions in here

Last evening I took Emma Rose to the mall for dinner at the food court. She ate her meal in a reasonably well-behaved manner, but after about 45 minutes I could see she was getting a bit grumpy and tired, so I cleaned her up and headed for the parking lot, a good ten-minute hike away (as Em was walking, not in her stroller, and has to stop and yell "Ooooh!" at every interesting store display she sees, and touch all of the things at her level, and gape at passing strangers, and pick up leaves and bits of rubbish from the floor, and comment on all the other babies/daddies/lollies we happen to walk by).

Anyway, we were just about to exit the mall for the parking lot when she decided she didn't want to hold my hand any more, and when I tried to insist, she threw herself down on her knees and started screaming, "NO!!!!" I picked her up by the underarms, but she went boneless and wouldn't stand up. So I used the ol' colic carry (not so easy with a two-year-old) to get her in position to carry her without dropping her, and started to cross the foyer of the mall to get out the doors. Meanwhile, Em was kicking me and wailing, "DOWN!"

The worst part? All of this took place in front of the Botany Crime Watch information table, where three official-looking men regarded me and my child with suspicion during the whole incident.

We got outside, where her screams intensified, and headed around the side of the building to where I was parked. By this point she was sobbing and writhing in my arms, and all I could think was, "Get to the car, get to the car!" Then, up ahead, I saw the flashing lights of a police car parked in the loading zone near the bus stop, where at least 10 people were waiting for the bus. Not sure why the cop was parked there, but he was standing on the sidewalk next to the police car, just looking around. I shamefacedly passed him, praying he wouldn't think I was abusing my kid, who was still wailing and flailing. I could feel his eyes boring into my back as I slunk toward the car...

I did eventually get her to the car, wrestle her into the carseat, get her home, and put her to bed VERY early -- but man, that was the most humiliating tantrum ever.

So share your shamefaced toddler tantrum moments with me and make me feel better, please!