There was no fresh cilantro at Wal-Mart today.

There was however a very tall gentleman nice enough to stop and comment on Aidans well-behaved-ness.

“He might just be the only kid in here not kicking and screaming”, the man remarked.

“It’s only 9:30 and we just got here”, I snarked back

Then I threw in a smile because I didn’t want the man to think I wasn’t grateful for the few minutes of quiet I was receiving.

I was appreciative but I kinda sorta knew it was going to be short lived.

Us Moms just know and I knew that Aidan was in a “mood”.

“Well, I have 3 grown children of my own and rare was a day that they behaved like that while out grocery shopping”

“He is being a very good boy”, I said as I ruffled the hair on Aidan’s head, “but he has his limit.  That’s why I’m trying to be fast”

I returned my focus to the non-existent cilantro bin as he walked away.

There was still nothing in the bin.

Two seconds after the compliment giving man turned the isle Aidan dropped the last gummy Dot he was snacking on.

In that swift moment, as the red dot fell from his hand to the floor, a part of me threw my hands in the air in defeat.

Aidan’s “limit” had just been speed-walked to its threshold, and that damn dot, which landed perfectly on it’s flat bottom, was to blame.

No, I didn’t pick it up.

I contemplated it but the floor where it landed was wet from the automatic vegetable mist spray thingy.

Aidan called out to it, his arms stretched out to the side as we turned the isle, “Nooooooooo!” he wailed, “I want no one to step on my candy”.

After a 45 minute shop that should have taken only 20 I arrived at the check out counters.

The tall gentleman was the only one ahead of us.

I angrily stared at the back of his head and cursed under my breath the jinxing of me and my quick grocery shop he had done.

I was only 10 minutes in and he sabotaged the whole thing.

Aidan screamed for me to let him out of the cart so he could touch all the crap set out to assure that every last one of my nerves was fried.

I gave in with silent hope that he would quiet since there were people ahead and behind us.

He touched every last thing and screamed when I put him back into the cart.

I was running out of steam and patience.

As he was leaving the gentleman turned and caught my eye.

As he smiled and shrugged his shoulders I imagined myself mouthing, “I’m gonna get you” and chasing him out of the store.

He was lucky he got a head start on me, that kind gentleman

because when I was putting my screaming at the top of his lungs and refusing to sit in his car seat so I could buckle him son into the van

I imagined I was beating him about the head with the empty cilantro bin.

–

Arriving at my last stop for the day, I was pulling the still screaming, now kicking and punching child from the van when

yet another friendly person decided to share her thoughts with us.

“Uh oh someone’s tired”, she said so sickeningly sweet and cooing like that I puked in my mouth a little.

“No, he’s fine”, I said looking at her and thinking “bring-it”, “he just wants his nasty dirty dot that he dropped on the floor at Walmart

But me?, yeah I need a nap”

She let me go ahead of her.

Smart lady.