Don't Touch My Baby, Lady

It never ceases to amaze me how few boundaries some people have.

I am ALL about boundaries. They hold hands with my Control Issues.

This afternoon we went to Costco to see if it was worth renewing our membership. Why I thought going to Costco on a Saturday of all days was a good idea is beyond me, except these days I'm desperate to get out of the house so it seemed like a fabulous idea at the time.

It was a complete zoo.

One of my top pet peeves is (are?) less than intelligent people and today they were all hanging out at Costco. Walking like molasses. Stopping in the aisles to stare off into space. Cutting in front of people with those honkin' big shopping carts.

They sure are big carts, aren't they? I kind of wanted to climb in and ride around. But remember, I am all about boundaries, and one if them is to not make an ass out of myself in public.

(ooh..I said ass on my blog. I feel all badASS now)

I was looking at the meat counter when this woman who would be in her late 50's grabbed my cart (with my baby in it) and jerked it out of her way so she could get in front of me. I would have said something but I was shocked at the way she was dressed. Very inappropriately for a) the location and b) her age. I just kind of stood there with my mouth hanging open. I wish I had said something at the time, and believe me, I've thought about ten things I could have said but you'd just have to have seen her outfit to understand my silence.

I have a very sharp tongue and I have to work very, very, hard to keep it in check. The outfit silenced me. So did the hair and the excessive makeup, but I don't want to talk about those things because then I would sound really mean.

Anyway, whenever I go to Costco I start out thinking that there is no way we need so much of one item and that the prices aren't that great. By the time I get to the checkout I'm thinking how we need all sorts of this stuff and we'll somehow find a way to store it, and isn't $3.99 awesome for that big box of Oreos, Ian!?!

(It was a good price for that big box of Oreos and we did buy it.)

By the time we got to the cash register Matthew was a wreck. He was fussing constantly so I had been carrying him in my arms. Ian wanted to go back to look at one last thing while we waited in line so I put him back into his carseat so I could put my items up on the belt thing.

And this is where we get to the complete breach of boundaries.

It's taken me long enough to get to this point, hasn't it.

So I'm putting things on the belt thingy and Matthew is screaming his little lungs out... and this woman came over from the next lane and started stroking his face with her whole hand, trying to soothe him. His cheeks, his eyes, his mouth... her hands were all over his little face.

I.just.about.died.

I quickly went to his side just as she was jamming his soother into his mouth trying to shush him, all while speaking to him in another language.

"STOP!" I said loudly, then tried to temper myself and be more polite. "He doesn't like that, thank you, but please don't do that ... please let him be...he's fine." and moved myself in between the cart and her because she was continuing to try to touch his arm.

I felt like such a witch but WOW. I would never touch another woman's child like that. EVER.

So now I'm so embarrassed that my kid is screaming himself hoarse that I have tears in my eyes. Then a different woman came over and started rubbing his legs and telling him to stop crying. I asked her to please not do that and pulled the cart out of her reach.

GAH!

Once we were done, we stopped for a cold drink while I fed Matthew. He was so upset. I think he was completely overstimulated by the store and just couldn't settle himself down. Poor little guy.

So here I am, hours later, feeling guilty for speaking so harshly to those women.

What would YOU have done so I can handle it better should it happen again?