Unsolicited Advice, part 2

I say part 2 because part 1 is found on my friend Lindsey's blog (here).

People just crack me up. Like not too long ago I had a family member email me a reminder (a.k.a. impractical article) about how we should never put our purse on a table, counter or other surface that we eat off of or holds food. Apparently purses should be kept on hooks. Why you ask? Well, because we put our purses in grocery store buggies, the floor of our car, the floor in restaurants, blah, blah, blah. The germs that the bottom of our purses carry should not be spread to the table or counter. I agree. It is a great point. However, I live in the real world with three children. I just don't have time to worry about that. I like to consider my purse as a means to help build my family's immune system as it spreads germs wherever I place it!

But on to my recent unsolicited advice...Yesterday I was in the grocery store with all three children. This is something that I usually don't do but sometimes - like when there are no diapers in the house - it is necessary. So in we go. Dean and Anna Grace are in the big buggy (I could not find any of the big kid carts to strap them) and Caleb is in his carrier attached to the basket. Things start off great. Dean and Anna Grace are happily playing (which does typically mean laughing/singing/etc but not fighting) and Caleb is asleep. Not long into our trip Caleb wakes up and so it begins. Every time the buggy stops he starts to cry...loud...because he wants to be back asleep. And every time the buggy moves he stops and starts to fall back asleep. I did not want to push the buggy around the store until he fell asleep and then do my shopping so I chose to hurry though the store and let him cry. Well there was this older couple in there and it seemed that we kept going down the same aisles. The lady was fine; she smiled and then continued to shop. The man on the other hand was not pleased. The first time he saw us Caleb was just starting to whimper yet when he looked into the buggy and saw the contents - three small children and some bananas - he shot me a disgusted look. Then however with each passing and Caleb's cries getting louder his mean glances became dirty looks that ultimately became disgusted stares. I knew what he was thinking..."Do you know how this happens, Girl? You don't have to have so many children; shame on you. Hope this is your last. They are too close in age." Blah...Blah...It is the same dumb comments people are crazy enough to say to my face. As I was racing to the check out lane I saw him one last time. His look was just down right evil by this time. I wanted so bad to stop and say, "Hey, Goodin, if you have a problem with this why don't you put that case of Miller High Life back on the shelf and buy me a pack of condoms!" But instead I chose to smile at them one last time and then look at the check-out girl who seemed happy to have us in her line, crying baby and all, and say, "Are you sure you are ready for this crew?"