12 weeks....and collapse.

I've had a long week. Well, a long 12 weeks. I finished out the year teaching art for a teacher friend. I thought it would be easier, after all, I did teach elementary art for 5 years. I'm glad for the opportunity, but it turned out to be a shorter version of the first time around when I taught. It reaffirmed that for our family, me working full time was not a balancing act I can do well.

Today was the last day to walk across the crosswalk. I was joyful.

I thought I would have a fun night with the kids. I had decided to let them pick out their own dinners at the store where we could do an indoor picnic dinner at home. (Hey, did you know it hit 100 degrees today?) It was just really a way to try to make the trip to the store with two young children and an exhausted mom bearable.

In the beginning of our trip, Adam was leaning dangerously close to the stacks of blueberry cartons. I asked him to move it, and he screamed at me and threatened to kick my basket. I immediately talked with him. As he walked away he gave it a little nudge with his foot. Stinker.

Albertson's moved cereal to the aisle with the toys. New battle, enough said.

The kids decided, well Adam decided, that out of the entire store he wanted a pizza lunchable. Hadley was happy to take one too, since Adam was so into his.

And then it happened. The kid less customer comment. I was busy trying to keep Hadley from opening her lunchable in the store, when I hear it, an accusingly judgmental, "Aren't you watching him?!"

I'm thinking good grief, he is right by me, of course I'm watching him. (I guess she didn't see how I single handedly diverted the blueberry catastrophe in the produce section.)

When I look up, Adam is busy licking the entire rim of the grocery cart. Not just a little bit, he doesn't do that kind of stuff halfway. I tell him to stop, and the lady returns to her phone call, no doubt waiting until I'm out of earshot so she can tell her friend some version of how her future children will never do such things. I only know this because in my younger childless days I had the same thoughts, although less vocal to strangers.

And then God gave me Adam.

I'm less horrified of Adam's behaviors, because little does the lady know, it's probably not the most disgusting thing he has had in his mouth today. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd prefer he not chew his t-shirt, suck on legos, and lick grocery carts. But there are so many times I can physically say "stop it" to him in one day. And today, I reached my limit.