Another Target Fiasco (my face will be on the do-not-allow-in-the-store wall someday)

Oiy Vey, what a day. I have reached a new low. Today I yelled (a really loud across the store rant) at a lady for making disparaging remarks about my parenting skills. I don't know how many of you have taken 4 kids shopping for birthday cards, diapers, and school supplies, but for those that haven't, it's multi-tasking complete chaos. I thought we were doing really well...totally focused on task at hand.

We had made it through baby, media, school supplies (checking 96 pencils off the kids' back to school list...that's a pencil everyday until February), toys(mid-store happy break for the kids), grocery (no brussel sprouts so mental note to stop off at grocery store on way home), kleenex and ziplocs for school supply list and on to shampoo before stopping off at cards. I was using one of those extra large carts with the double seat for the girls and full cart attached for Millie and the stuff. The cart was packed to the rim and the carts are difficult to maneuver anyway, but especially with 3 kids and all that stuff. Millie was sleeping, strapped in to her car seat which was attached to the stroller. As we passed the sunscreen, I ran into a friend (the 5th friend to run into during the duration in the store...it's Amarillo and you run into people A LOT). I said hi and kept moving because I was SO focused on getting to our last stop and out the door before Millie woke up for feeding #4 of the day. And then I remembered that my friend had just put her dog down and so I stopped the cart and said, "Wait, how are you doing?" Millie was in the cart at the endcap out of the way. I moved back to the previous endcap about 6 feet away. While chatting with my friend about how hard it was to say goodbye to her dog, a woman passed us and then stepped back to see Millie. I approached her because she was a little to close. As I did, she said, "Is this your baby?"
Me (smiling): "Yes"
Her (not smiling): "Well I was wondering."
Me (still smiling but waning a little): "She's sleeping."
Her (in disgust): "I couldn't understand why anyone would leave a baby by herself!"
Me (not smiling): "She's Okay"
Her (walking away but still talking to me while shaking her head): "Someone could take her."
Me (yelling): "WHY CAN'T MOMS STOP JUDGING OTHER MOMS? IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HELP, WHY DON'T YOU WATCH ALL FOUR AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES!!!"

And then I realized everyone was looking at me, including my pastor's wife on the next aisle. Another acquaintance in the card aisle pretended she didn't know me. And Grayson and Matalley were asking a ton of questions: "what just happened?" "what did she say?" "are you mad?" and "who is going to take Millie?" My friend with the dog totally backed me up and told me she was watching Millie the whole time. I was embarrassed. We finished our trip...taking FOREVER in the card aisle, getting a papercut and having to backtrack to the band-aid aisle, crying over the used gift card that went to one child and not the other for playing store, and one last stop at the bathroom. If I utilized 3rd grade coping skills, I would tell myself that she was just jealous of me and my 4 adorable children. And who wouldn't want to steal this cutie?

I yelled because I was tired of the store, weary from the kids, and at my breaking point. I was glad I snapped at someone other than the kids, for once. However, the event didn't really validate anything but my own guilt that I am not the perfect Mom. I have re-played the event over and over...so many things I could have said instead of what I did. If only I had the self-control that I expect of my kids. I don't think Millie was on the verge of being stolen...I was 6 feet away, she was strapped to the cart and the cart was ridiculously heavy so the getaway wouldn't have been quick. I haven't heard of any Target baby abductions with the mom in sight and I still think we are creating paranoid children who fear everything but I shouldn't have yelled. The woman's son looked back at me but she just kept walking. I'm sure her version (if it even is worth mentioning) doesn't paint me in the best light. With my luck, her son will be in Grayson's class this year. And that is why I can't go to Target for a few weeks. (Plus, I know exactly what happens when there is a potential child abduction at Target so that lady shouldn't have been so concerned...people come out from the ceiling!)