Hysterics at Walmart, and other great adventures

Well, this has been a busy, stressful week for our family. Erick took Friday off so that we could drive to FW Thursday night to see his dad before he(Erick's dad, not Erick) underwent bypass surgery. It was a pleasant visit with the grandparents, and even Great Grandma Henrie. The kids were their usual cute, blunt selves, running around reeking happy havoc. They were looked after by Awesome Aunt Sarah. The surgery so far has gone well and Papa is recovering at the hospital. We were able to visit a friend and Papa even got a hotel for the kids and I, which was so nice and fun for all of us. (oh, shoot, I forgot to snatch the popcorn, but don't worry, I did snatch the soaps and shampoos and lotions) It was great to come home last night and sleep in our own beds though. What is it about comfort and familiarity that breeds a good nights sleep?

Anywho, we sort of slept in, then decided to go to the grocery store. Which for us, is Walmart. Ugh. I do not like Walmart. I worked there when I was 15. Whenever we try to shop elsewhere, we can't do it without spending twice as much. So alas, we go. We have a sort of routine of zipping through the toy section first. This is Erick's thing, he likes to check out the action figures. This time of year, its a bit nuts. Thus the hysterics. I tend to wander off with Ella in her cart to look at girlie toys and the boys do their thing. Ella and I were in an isle, and I distinctly remember hearing Jed talking. So that was my way of knowing where the guys were. A few minutes later, I see Erick and Luke... Where is Jed I ask. Erick turned around and he wasn't there. Not totally unusual. I am not opposed to yelling in Walmart. Everyone does it. Especially at their kids. So I say, "Jed!" a little loud. Next thing I know Erick takes off and he can move fast and we keep seeing each other across the isles, with the mutual look of panic. (my heart is racing even now and the hairs are standing on my head as I type) So I do what any great mom does, YELL at the TOP of my LUNGS... JEEEEDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OVER and OVER and OVER while pulling two carts, as in Erick's haste, he took off to search for Jed, so I had two kids in two carts, shouting for my first born. I was able to slowly move around the isles with the panic and loudness in voice rising and rising. There goes Erick again, with no Jed. Ugh. People were turning their heads. One woman said, did you lose a husband or a kid? I said a kid. An employee walks by and without stopping or even looking at her I say, "My son is lost can you make an announcement?" She is following me around asking what he is wearing, I am telling her and I keep getting it wrong. Yes I am still yelling... "JED!!! JED!!!!" in between questions. I pop out into a main isle. I didn't even notice the woman left until I heard my son's description being paged over the store. I didn't tell her his name. I probably didn't need to since I was yelling it. Then, sure as day, Jed peeks around from a center kiosk of Walmart junk in the isle. He is 30 or 40 feet away... "JED! COME HERE NOW, SON!!!!!" He looks sort of startled that I am shouting throughout walmart. I turn briefly to yell, "Erick, I FOUND HIM!" He comes and I say, go tell that lady who made the announcement. Jed comes to me and I tell him how he scared me and I was worried and he starts to cry. Apparently he went to the movie section to look for us. I will say that the fact that we walk the same route every time is in fact a blessing even if I don't always enjoy it. Because Jed logically went to our next stop. Poor kid. Oh my heart. It is times like these that I am glad to know that I really do love my kids. It was actually liberating to yell in Walmart, and that feeling of, I don't care what attention I draw felt sort of good. I am also a bit of a loud mouth. Needless to say, Jed parked it in the cart for the rest of the trip.

We let him and Ella out of their consumer cages toward the end, and Ella found a cool little spy mirror at the checkouts. She sang and danced in front of it. I happened to have my camera. Then we dragged them to crazy toys r us for a brief Christmas trip. We were able to get a couple gifts that we needed. So then we drove home.