Dissing a Compliment

Laurel, Ian and I are shopping. It's not casual shopping, it's absolutely only what we need now, only what's on the list shopping. I know there's no room for us to steer away from the list since it took us forever to get out the door and loaded into the van. Nap time draws near, and along with it, not so agreeable children.

Our cart has all but the last two items listed. Laurel sits in the cart whining, starting to show her cranky sign. In fact, the whines escalate to loud cries of "No, Mommy, nooooooo!"

Ian walks beside me. "Ian, let's stop so I can check the list one more time. Laurel, hang in there, we're almost done."

I stop the cart, but Ian wanders out into the busy aisle. He walks sideways, not paying attention to where he's going. Consequently, he almost gets hit by someone else's cart. "Ian stop, come here."

He stops. The grumpy man behind the cart goes around my now daydreaming three year old son. "Ian come here, please."

He doesn't respond. Again, another customer has to stop and wait. I walk up to Ian, direct him back to our shopping cart, and smile apologetically to passersby. I bend down to talk to him. "Ian, you need to stay by me so you don't walk into other people or their carts.

"Ok, Mommy, I'll stay by you."

Suddenly, an elderly lady walks up and says, "I was watching you. It's so nice to see a parent discipling her children."

Caught off guard, I respond, "Oh, thank you, I do the best I can."

"Oh yes, you are doing a fine job. I'm an ex-kindergarten teacher, I should know."

Laurel decides to put her two cents in, "No, no, NO!" and points at the lady. "No, go timeout, one minute!"