Control Your Kids

Control You Kids?

I almost feel bad for the lady who said this to me today. I don't agree with her, but I probably didn't have to call her a nasty old hag.

Lets wrap some perspective around the situation. Sarah woke up in pain yesterday morning about 2am which lead to an entire day at emergency getting tests done. She started off fussy, progressed to a bad temperature, then vomitting and total lethargy during our visit. When we were sent home last night they still didn't know what was wrong and it was scarey (she's fine now). So no sleep Friday, hospital all day then she was also up last night around 3:30am.

Despite the fact that everyone had already picked out costumes, yesterday the kids decided to be pirates for halloween. Since this would illiminate in-fighting on all hallows eve when one person had on a costume someone else wanted, I decided to see what I could pull off. The catch: Joe had to work today, my parents are at the cabin, Joe's mom is sick and Stewart is away - I'm on my own.

I've done this before, so I tried to call Value Village to see when they open... no answer. Checked the website: 10:00am! I packed everyone up and off we went. The plan was to get there as they opened to avoid the crowd and therefore keep a closer eye on the kids. However someone lied to their web site author and they in fact have new "extended hours". They open at 12:00 (irony at it's finest).

So instead we went to wallmart for a while first. I put the kids in a cart and they were awesome. We went back to Value Village at 12:07 and the kids were so excited, they had their little noses squished against the glass looking in the window of the store while I locked the truck. This wonderful fellow who worked there helped us drag up some clothes for 3 pirates and the kids played at pushing through clothes on the racks and coming out the other side and saying "boo" to their sibling. I thought this was cute as I remember doing this myself as a child.

Then this lady with a cart walked up the isle and snapped something at Alex that I couldn't hear. He looked dejected. As I walked up, she pushed past me saying "you should learn to control your kids". She mumbled something about how they should stand next to me and how one of them could get hurt.

Normally, I'd inwardly smile and let it go because the nasty old woman is probably not used to kids and is used to getting away with nasty comments because people are too polite to be mean to the elderly... but in the wake of the day before, she had lousy timing. Also, she made the utimate mistake of saying it in front of Alex who had been so good and helpful all morning. He immediately stopped having fun and put his head down dejected and my hackels went up.

I exaggerated my reaction on purpose and snapped at the lady: "Are you serious? I should somehow contol my 3 kids under 4 in a halloween section of a second hand store because they are playing a harmless game of peek-a-boo? Come on kids, the nasty old hag doesn't want you to have any fun." Her eyes went wide and she hurried off.

*rawr*