alternatively titled: Why I can't go back to Kroger
Today I nominate myself for "Mother-of-the-Year".
You know the days...
The days when it is you against them. The days when you can't believe YOUR children would act that way. The days when you can't believe the things that come out of your own mouth in response to their actions. Please tell me you know those days. I had several amazing parenting moments today, but the one that steals the show (and this post) was the one where I {temporarily} misplaced my child.
Let me preface this story by saying that when Cbug really wants to hide from you (usually because he is in trouble or doing something he shouldn't), he is AMAZING at disappearing. I mean, Copperfield-style-disappearing-acts. Several months ago we were all at home and C went missing IN OUR HOUSE. RRL, KJ and I searched everywhere. We bribed, we threatened, we played games, sang songs, ANYTHING we could think of to make him come out. This was during a season that he was really struggling with his asthma so I was convinced the reason he wasn't answering was because he couldn't breathe. I was on the verge of calling 911 (seriously, had the phone in my hand) when KJ found him hiding in the back/bottom section of our little closet pantry with a bowl of candy. Unwrapping them one at a time. Hiding until he'd had his fill. SERIOUSLY.
So when he disappeared today at the grocery store, I knew we were in trouble. I looked around a little, checked by the toystory 3 movie display, down the cereal isle, called and called his name. Nothing. Trying to stay calm, I went to the customer service desk and asked for some help. The manager came out of his office (awesome) and went over the loud speaker asking everyone to look for a 2yearold blond boy, green jacket, brown pants. It was one of those moments when you can feel everyone stop what they are doing, swivel towards you and STARE at mom-of-the-year. best feeling in the world. A few seconds later, a very nice man from the bakery, came walking my way carrying my son...and the toystory3 cupcake with red icing that he had managed to steal. He'd been hiding, trying to get the cupcake open. The nice man, who I thanked profusely, handed Cbug to me and I could smell him. Apparently he'd also been, um...taking care of some business. I didn't know whether to cry, laugh, discipline, hug, or just dig a hole and crawl in it...in the end I did a little bit of all of the above.
So, yeah, its been one of those days. Obviously it wasn't entirely Cbug's fault that he did a little disappearing act. I let him out of the cart, I was busy reviewing my list, and it was actually KJ who noticed first that Cbug had walked away. Someday he'll hate me for this post. But in the mean-time I just thought you might need to know the amazingness that occasionally enters my world of parenting.
Just in case, you know...you happen to have one of those days, too.
ABL
4 comments:
Your mother called to tell me this story. I know we found it funnier than you did! Love you and always appreciate what a great mother you are -- of course, you had a great example.
BTW, Snowball is my code name! Paulette
I KNOW about those kind of days! Bless you for telling this story. :)
Allison, I just found your blog and love reading it! Ironically, just last week I had a similar experience of losing Tate for the first time...at an outdoor soccer field on a college campus. He was in the bathroom! I had so many of those same feelings you described. It's a scary and humbling experience. But it's also a right of passage, right? So maybe we're in the clear for awhile. :)
Post a Comment