I Can't Get Sick...I'm a Mom!

I'm sick. I have a bug. Sore throat...fever...the usual crud. But usually I get it from the kids...this time I'm the only one with it. I'm the one who brought it home. How is that even possible?  It's an interesting fever...comes on about 5:00pm...kids are home and I need to start dinner...could it be that it's really an adverse reaction to my having to cook? I wonder...

Love that my husband tells me..."Go to Bed!"...Uh Okaaaayyy....as I'm right in the middle of baking two dozen muffins, a load of laundry in the wash, another in the dryer and clothes on the back of the couch to fold. I can't just "go to bed"!  It's funny...when  my husband is sick, he comes home, puts himself in a NyQuil-induced coma and goes to bed. Just like that! I could never do that! Besides, being sick isn't allowed when you are a mom with three kids. My husband helped out with getting kids to bed...I'm not sure how happy they were, since at one point I heard the middle child exclaim, "Clearly, SOMEONE is NOT a kid person!"

Five hours later, I made my way to bed...which was about three hours earlier than usual! Bright and early the next day I hear:  "Take it easy today," says the husband. "Okaaayyy," I reply, going through the checklist in my head of all that I need to accomplish today. Our refrigerator is bare...I'm out of food for breakfast, we are down to the last roll of toilet paper, having to steal it from bathroom to bathroom....Lord help you if you forget it..."I will take it easy," I tell myself, "Right after I get all three kids to school, do the reading with the youngest, hit the grocery store, Costco and Target. Then I can take it easy...."

I get the kids to school (early!) and set off on my "to-do" list. Grocery store was quick and uneventful...headed to Costco and got there before they open. Remembering that I could not find my membership card, I headed over to the customer service desk as soon as the door opened. I told the man behind the counter that I could not find my Costco card. "So you need a temporary card?" he asked. "No...better make it a permanent card...that thing is gone!" I replied...thinking back to the massive search I did, to no avail, the last time I went to Costco. I moved over to the blue screen and smiled for the photo, which goes on the back of the card. "Here you go," he said as he handed me my new card. I thanked him and opened my wallet to place the card inside, thinking that I for sure won't lose this one! Wait...what's that? That looks like...is it? ...No...can't be....UGH...there it is...my missing COSTCO CARD! Well....now I have TWO!

Got through Costco without hurting myself, spending too much money or getting my heels clipped by an overzealous shopper trying to get a sample from the cheese lady. I even picked the right checkout line for once! OK...almost done...I just need to stop by Target for a couple of things...hit Target, load up the cart with the things I think I can't live without and head to the checkout. The lines were long and the people were crabby. As I waited in line, I couldn't help but notice the two women behind me...mainly because they were standing RIGHT behind me. If this lady moved any closer, she would be my conjoined twin!

I hate it when people infringe on my personal space. I tried to edge forward...she edged forward. Seriously? You want to occupy the same space I am in? WHY? I could tell that these two were in a big hurry and were getting very impatient as the woman in front of me pulled out her coupons. OK..I'll admit it...I started to feel a little surly...As the woman's transaction was coming to an end, I struck up a conversation with her. "Excuse me," I said, "How much do you think you saved today with your coupons?" I could feel hot breath on the back of my neck as the woman behind me sighed loudly. "I did pretty well," she answered and asked the checker what her total was before coupons. She went on to tell me exactly what she saved on, how many soaps she bought, how many kids she has, where she gets her coupons, all about the double coupons of Target...and so on..and on...and on... I chuckled to myself as the woman behind me clipped my heels with her toes...she was SO close to me! OK...I more than chuckled...I laughed maniacally in my head. She tried to push me forward by moving my cart..which I was holding onto! I didn't budge.

Finally, the woman in front of me says goodbye and it's my turn! I stand at the counter, next to where the ATM is...and the lady behind me stands shoulder-to-shoulder to me! I turn to stare at her and her phone rings. Darn! Just when I was going to give her my best 'stink-eye'! Now she is on the phone and loudly talks to the person on the other end...and to me...at least I think it was to me, since she was yelling in my ear! I looked over at her friend who was immersed in a gossip magazine...

She hung up the phone and loudly announced to her shopping buddy...and the rest of the store...that they needed to hurry...they were going to go meet their friend soon. This was getting more fun by the minute..."Oh..." I said to the checker, "May I see those towels?...I'm not sure that I want them." She handed me the towels as I touched each one to decide if I truly wanted them. "Yeah...I don't want these after all..." The checker then had to take each towel and return it. I could feel the impatience radiating off the  woman behind me. As I slowly counted out my change, she resorted to foot stomping and started to elbow me.

I mentally thought of all the witty things I could say to this woman...but didn't trust myself and figured it would just come out snarky. After all...I am trying to work on forgiveness this Lenten season and doing random acts of kindness....I wonder if I can count holding my tongue as an act of kindness?
After this shopping trip, I just need to go home, drink some NyQuil and call it a day!