Serenity Now!

I should have known better.

I took Ben and Lauren to Target to buy birthday presents for our upcoming parties. We also needed to grab some shoelaces for Jack. Jack's teacher requested that I get 100% cotton laces so they stayed tied better. Ben and Lauren wanted to walk and against my better judgment I allowed it. By the time we finally picked gifts for our friends I was fairly spent. We headed over to the shoe department to get the laces. Ben was insistent on carrying the big box of Handy Manny crap. Again, against my better judgment I allowed it. Then, the inevitable happened, he fell. He cried and cried. I finally got him settled down and my cell phone rang. It was Travis returning my call. I quickly gave Travis the low down as Ben was begging to talk to him. I got off the phone without giving Ben a turn and the melt down started all over again. I found Jack's shoelaces and headed towards the checkout with Lauren in tow. Ben refused to come with us. He stood there crying his eyes out. I walked away, but not so far that I couldn't see him. I assumed he would cave and follow me, but he didn't. He was still not out of my sight when an older woman walked up to him, offered him a peppermint, gave him another for his sister and said "Here, now go to your mother and tell her to take you home and let you take a nap". Excuse me? Rule #1, never take candy from a stranger! Not only is this old bitty teaching my kid it is okay to take candy from a stranger, she gave him a choking hazard, then questioned MY parenting! By the time I made it to the checkout I was fuming! As the checker was ringing up my purchases my cell phone rang. When I pulled it out of my purse I realized that had left my wallet on my kitchen counter!