Blood Work for Little Bear

We ran out of milk. You know, the 2%, Lactose-free, added calcium kind that you only pick up at the ‘inconvenient’ store. 

Carly has dreaded blood work tomorrow, and she has to fast for this one, so there would be no breakfast in my house. Therefore I figured milk could wait until tomorrow.

Knowing my baby’s first words upon opening her eyes in the morning (and sometimes while still closed) are “I’m hungry” I let her stay up late and pushed for late night snacks. I’m not sure if it was the appeal of cinnamon and sugar, or just the idea that we had no milk, but my girl decided at 9:30 tonight she reeeally wanted a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Yes, with milk.

Crap.

She had sweetly played the blood work trump card, and we headed to Kroger, well past her summer bedtime. We mosied, selecting new snacks for Carly, and I secretly justified that the later she stayed up, the later she would sleep. Maybe even all the way until I snuck the numbing cream on her arms and buckled her in,  pajama-clad and unbrushed teeth.

I went through my mental checklist for the morning: afore-mentioned numbing cream, hot packs, silky blanket, food and drink for immediately after. Forms for camp, ask about the weird finger infection… and suddenly my reverie was broken by a grown man speeding past me, both feet up on the cart.

He was grinning ear to ear, this tall man-child. Truly enjoying the wind in his hair as he caught a breeze cruising down aisle 3.  Carly and I couldn’t help but stare. “Mommy, what is he doing?!”

“He’s having a little fun, honey. That’s all. Doesn’t he look happy?”

I proceeded to toss things that Carly might eat into our cart, making our way toward the milk when suddenly, there he was again. With a face that seems familiar, but I can’t place it.

“Hi! How are you?” He asks my daughter. And proceeds to compliment her height for age (more on that later), her sweatshirt with ‘little bear ears’ and ask about her grade level. Carly can sometimes be a bit unnerved by forward strangers, but this guy was a Dad, and it was obvious. She was giggling and not sure what to make of him.

We crossed paths with Dad-child probably 5 times during our grocery trip. Each time, he’d say ‘hi little bear!’ or ‘there you are!’ Or ‘are you following me?!’ And zoom off.

This rose bush was waiting for us at checkout.  A gift for Carly.  A thank you for making his “shopping experience” so fun. Am I on candid camera? Thank you, Dad-child! You made our night.