The Bounce

One of the great things about my boys is they bounce back so fast.

Ryan did not wake up at all after 10:30 last night. He woke up this morning at 7. He was cheery and bright eyed and his fever with no meds in 12 hours was only 101.

Ryan was so sweet and pitiful yesterday I told him this morning that I would get him a special treat. (I'd already planned on getting the boys some more track and a couple of trains for their train set, and I thought that this would be a fantastic day to do this.) He was so excited about getting to pick out a new train that he picked up his Snoopy and wanted to leave as soon as the words were out of my mouth.

We had to stop at Target first, and it was there that I experienced the two sides of humans. Ryan and Evan were munching on Cheerios. At least Ryan was, Evan had some in his mouth, he coughed, and made that noise that I know all too well. I knew he was going to throw up. I rushed around the corner to one of the Scanning/Paper towel/trash stations that they have every few isles. Sadly I was a moment too late. Evan thew up all over himself, and the stroller, and part of the Target floor. I pulling paper towels out frantically, trying to catch the second round, wiping, attempting to catch what I could as fast as I could when some lady (and I use that only as gender identification, not as an indication of her manners) came up with a bunch of things she wanted to scan. I said sorry if I'm in your way here but I've got a bit of a crisis. Meanwhile some kid (I use this loosely too, he was probably mid 20's) muttered something and walked by. I did not really pay attention.

The "Lady" was still trying to maneuver around me to the scanner. She then started talking to me like I should get the heck out of her way.
"You should take him to the bathroom to do that"she sneered.
"Um, I'm just trying to get this mess under control." I muttered wiping yet more vomit off my child.
"Yeah, but it would be easier and out of the way in the bathroom"

SERIOUSLY? For Whom?

I have an unlimited supply of paper towels, and a trash can right here at my disposal. I also can contain the mess to this one square foot of Target floor. You really think I should wheel my puke dripping stroller all the way through the store? Anyone who has cleaned up child vomit knows, the faster you get the wet up, the easier life is. Let all the vomit on Evan's lap drip into the cushions of the stroller, and well, that would be the absolute end of our shopping today. (and therefore no train for poor Ryan)

She kept getting into my space, and my face about the bathroom, when finally I just had to say.
"Really, it's none of your business, please just leave us alone"

Just about then, the the kid returned, he had a pack of wipes. He said, "I already took care of this up front". And then he talked to the boys and said here you go buddy, and he handed each of the boys a wipe and told them to help their Mommy clean up. He then handed me the rest of the pack, finished his shopping and on his way out of the aisle he said. "I hope you feel better buddy"

Wow. I thanked this kid a bunch of times, but I really wanted to thank his mother, or whoever taught him to be kind, thoughtful and compassionate, to look at someone in need of help, and to help them. Not sneer at them and tell them to get out of their way and go find the bathroom so you didn't have to walk two aisles down to use one of the 40 other scanners in the building.

What a crappy and a really amazingly redeeming experience.