Once upon a time, I was in Wal-Mart with my 4 kids, forgetting what it's like to shop with a baby (it had been so long). The 3 older kids made a bee-line for the electronics dept. where they like to hang out and play video games. Alan needed a diaper as soon as I got into the store but the front restroom was closed for cleaning, so I figured I'd just shop for the non-food stuff and change him when I got to the restroom at the back of the store. Well. he was fussy, so I held him while I pushed the cart, and somewhere in hardware, I noticed something rather warm against my hand...
His diaper had leaked and it was a doozie. So I promptly made my way to the back of the store, where, once in the restroom, I realized as I rifled through the diaper bag, that I didn't have a change of clothes for him. I decided - hey, I'm at Wal-Mart...I'll just buy him another outfit. So I made my way with him still cradled in my arm, to the infant's dept. and discovered some adorable 3-piece outfits under a sign that said $9.95. I picked one out but noticed it said $16.95 on the tag and took it to Layaway to purchase, thinking I'd get the discount for it. The clerk said it must have been a mistake, so she went back to Infants' to check the price. She noticed that the clothes on one side of the display were marked for $9.95 and on the other side they were marked at $16.95, so she came back and said the outfit I picked out was apparently on the wrong side of the display. Fine. Meanwhile, Alan needed a diaper still...
...So I took him back into the bathroom and changed him, cleaned him up, put him in his blankie, and nestled him into his carrier. Taking the overpriced outfit back to infants', I noticed that ALL of the outfits on that display were $16.95, so the $9.95 price displayed was obviously wrong. I could have pitched a fit about that, but being the hmmm...well, let's just say I chose not to. So I picked out an inexpensive package of sleepers for around 6 bucks and some socks, took him back to the layaway area to buy the stuff and let the lady know that the sign had the wrong price on it for all the outfits in that display. Then I sat on a bench to dress Alan in his new little sleeper thingie and his lovely new socks. I put him in his carrier and proceeded to shop. I went back to infants', having forgotten wipies, at which point, Alan proceeded to scream, so I took him back out of the carrier, and trying not to scream myself, I pushed the cart, carrying him over my shoulder, back to electronics to find my other kids and enslave them...I mean uh, to enlist their services.
Jeremy informed me that he was unavailable, as he had fish to purchase, and Jeff wanted to go with him, so I exasperatedly allowed them to go their way and insisted that Heather help me by pushing the cart while I held Alan and shopped. Mind you, the only thing I had put in the cart that was on my list at the point was the wipies. It was probably after 10 pm by now. We got past the infants' department without stopping there again (deep breath), and arrived at the soda, where Heather picked out a couple of 2-liters, and we made it to the milk, when Heather declared that she had to use the restroom. Such beautifully terrible timing. (She apologizes.) I freaked out. Go to the blessed bathroom!!! I will shop by myself! Screaming baby and all! So I decided to just grab the absolute, most urgent essentials and attempt to make my way out of the store, when lo and behold, a rumble came from Alan's diaper AGAIN.
Now in flaming rage, I raced through the aisles, threw stuff in the cart, and almost in tears, I headed back to the restroom near layaway. That woman was surely sick of seeing me by now. I left the cart and looked in to see if Heather was there and called for her but got no answer. She had left to look for me!!! Alan was absolutely screaming at this point, tired, poopy and hungry. I was paralyzed. I didn't know whether I should change him and sit in the fitting room for half an hour to feed him before I left or just put him in the cart and make a bottle to feed him in the car on the way home. Feeling completely clueless and hopelessly frustrated, I prayed, "Lord, please get me out of this store!"
Within moments, a newly acquired acquaintance appeared. She said, "I thought I recognized that cry!" Very odd, as I had only seen her on two different occasions, and she had not had that much interaction with Alan. In fact, she later informed me that she had heard his cry from the FRONT of the store, and came to look for who it might be. She asked if there was anything she could help me with, and I almost said no! Ha! Ever heard that joke about how God sends a helicopter and a boat to rescue a drowning guy and he says he's holding out for God? Yeah, well... so I admitted yes, it would really help me if she would please hold the bottle while I changed Alan's diaper, and she was very happy to help. Within earshot of the layaway chick, I told her that she was literally an answer to prayer. While we worked together on Alan in the restroom, we chatted about how children are a blessing, and how good God is, and then I realized that there was someone in the restroom overhearing our conversation. I thanked my new friend profusely for helping, and as I left the restroom, here came Heather, who I then directed to find her brothers and meet me at the front of the store. I went through the checkout line with a still fussy Alan, but I managed a smile in spite of it, and left the store, with my sanity still mostly intact. We made it home after 11 pm, and I said to Brett, who had been wondering if we fell off the planet, "God is good." |
