Deaf, Numb or Desperate?

I'm beginning to think that this week is Crazy Shopper Week. Do all the insane people come out for Back to School shopping?

Today, I stopped by Walgreens to pick up necessities (okay, it was Blue Bell ice cream & Coke - don't judge me--Rod's out of town! BTW: for those of you not from TX, you MUST try Blue Bell Ice Cream - it is THE creamiest EV-ER!!!) My Daddy was with us and he asked me to drop off his prescription while I was in the store. I was patiently waiting at the Pharmacy counter when someone said - "a Raccoon!" That was an expression I had not heard before, so I turned around to see who was behind me only to find a woman holding a Raccoon. Not a cat, not a dog, a Raccoon!!! (Danielle, maybe she can help you...apparently, she has about 10-15 of them at home) This strange 'pet' was kissing this woman incessantly on the cheek - the way an excited dog would do - Sure wish I had my camera - I knew you guys wouldn't believe me...

Yesterday, Carter and I went by Target to pick up a couple of things that we needed (No, it wasn't ice cream or Coke this time.) While we were browsing the aisles, there was another woman with her children. I counted four - which in my opinion is not really THAT many, but still more than I'd want to take shopping. They appeared to range in age from about 15 months to 15 years. I guess I expected that the 15 year-old would help out with the others - yeeeah, not so much!

They were quite loud. I swear they followed us around the store making my pleasant experience with a sleeping child more like what it would have been had my two crazy girls accompanied us.

At one point, one of the screaming children, perhaps 3 years?, was beating a drum begging to take it home. To which the Mommy replied, "No, just play with it while we are in the store." To which I replied (silently in my head), "Yes, please...that's what I'm here for loud banging noises!"

So, a few minutes later, I'm in the baby dept browsing for...nothing in particular when I hear (just above the whining and fussing) "You're such a brat!" I look over at the shoe dept where I see the 15 year old screaming at the 3 year old. All the while the Mom is carrying on like she has no idea that the kids are even there. Well, except the 10? year old that she is begging to come and try on shoes. It was obvious he had no interest in shopping this day. Never once did she stop to correct them in any way.

And I wonder....

...is she deaf?
...could she be numb to it all?
...might she just be desperate to get the back-to-school shopping completed?

After mumbling under my breath, "SERiously?!"...I thanked God for my beautiful children.

Lesson learned: Perhaps I should be more thankful for
1. my well-behaved children*
2. my wonderful husband who does a good bit of the shopping
3. fabulous family members who are always around to entertain my children so I don't become the 'Crazy Target Mom' I saw today.

(*No, my children are not perfect, not by any means, but never, ever have they embarrassed me the way I would have been if I had experienced today's 'Crazy Target Mom's' trip. I like to think that's because Rod and I have taught them to show us respect and well, just to behave!)

Maybe tomorrow I should just stay home...