Take on the stare

I didn't have my finest moment the other day when I was shopping with
my three kids at the local A&P. It wasn't just that I spent $10 on
organic ground meat which smelled like feet or that I caved on the
chocolate yogurt but I had one of those moments you just shake your
head at. I'd blame it on the China jet-lag but that is probably just
a copout.

At one point one of my two older kids decides that she needs to lay
down in the middle of the aisle, this was after 20 minutes of trying
to corral the two of them as they were bolting up and down the aisles
and arguing over which school snack to get. I tried to be calm but
when I am tired and annoyed I cannot hide my emotions, the vitriol
just seethes out. Within 10 seconds I am having a temper tantrum to
match my daughter's with gems like "you are smart, what would compel
you to lay on the floor", "if you don't get up now, I will take every
one of your Elsa toys and bring them to the dump and throw them out
one by one and then take your basketball and kick it into the river "
and "forget dessert, you are not having lunch or dinner"

Of course none of it works and before I know it we are in an all out
arms-race with her hysteria going head to head with my own.

As I am about to have a complete melt-down, I look up and make eye
contact with a mom from my daughter's preschool who we'd asked for a
babysitter recommendation just a few months ago. I smile and make
some lame joke but the damage is done. I'm not going to be invited to
join the PTA this year, that's for sure

Kill me