People bug me

OK, not everyone bugs me but I encountered someone tonight who really irritated me.

I took the boys to Panda Express tonight. Believe it or not, that is their favorite restaurant. The one nearest our house is the one at Jordan Landing which also happens to be busy pretty much all the time. So as we were standing in line they were horsing around with eachother, being a little crazy (but really I have seen worse in both my children and others) and I could tell that the lady in front of us was getting annoyed. I made sure that we were far enough back that my boys didn't bump into her and I tried to calm them down a little but they were excited and hungry and maybe a little hyped up from the sugar they got at the family Christmas party today. So after about 10 minutes she turns to me and says "do you need a whip or something?" and I did a little fake laugh "ha ha, maybe a little duct tape would do"- you know joking, friendly banter. Then she says "maybe you shouldn't take them out Christmas shopping or anywhere else if they act like this". At first I was shocked but then after it sunk in I was a little mad. My boys are generally well-behaved and tonight they were certainly not being bad. The man with this woman didn't seem bothered by them but she sure did.

I have every right to go places with my children and to be honest, I really don't go many places anymore since Brad has been working 2 jobs and I am alone with the boys in the evening. You know how kids are in the evening when they are tired....not the time to take them out shopping or anything. So generally we just stay home, but sometimes I have errands to run or shopping to do and they have to come with me. It hasn't been fun. Recently at a grocery store Trevor decided he didn't want me to buy milk that night so he cried all the way from the back of the store (why is the dairy in the back of the store?) to the checkout area "I don't want to buy miiiiillllllk!" while I carried him. He was tired and so was I but we needed some groceries and it was the only opportunity I had to go to the store.

It reminded me of a time, many years ago, when I was strapping Tyler into his car seat in the Walmart parking lot and an impatient woman honked at me because she was unable to pull in to the next parking space because my back door was opened. You parents out there know it only takes a few seconds to strap a child in so it's not like I was taking very long but apparently it was too long for her. Back then I did give her a little piece of my mind, today I didn't.

So why do people have to be so rude? I don't get it. If I see a child throwing a temper tantrum or crying in a store I feel sympathy for that parent because I know what it is like and it isn't easy. I guess I will just have to let her rude comments roll off my back and know that I am doing the best I can.