{My Carbon Footprint Looks Like Godzilla's}

Yesterday Mason and I went to Target.  He was great (because I fed him 5 bags of fruit snacks).  I just had a few things to pick up and we were done.  In the checkout line, he got a little restless so I gave him the first thing I thought of, my keys. We checked out and were out the door.

When we got to the truck, I made a mental note that the car next to me was running.  (Be careful.  Don't leave the cart where they can hit it.  OMG Mental image of the car next to me dragging the cart with my baby in it around Target parking lot!)

I kept an eye out for the car to pull out but it just sat there.  I finally realized no one was sitting in the car.  And it was running???  How completely irresponsible.  Don't they know about conservation?  Global warming?  Starving children in Africa who could buy 90 meals with the money they are wasting on gas???  Give me ONE GOOD REASON for a car to be running on a 68 degree day with the sun shining!

I got the truck all loaded up, fastened Mason into his seat and returned the cart.

I have a remote starter on my truck.  Imagine my surprise when I got in and found IT WAS MY TRUCK THAT WAS RUNNING.  All that time.  In the 68 degree weather.  Wasting gas.  Don't tell Brandon.

 I will be sending a donation to Africa out of penance.  And an apology letter to Al Gore.  (ok, not really Al.  But I might Facebook him.)

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That same afternoon, Ellie, Mason and I went to the grocery store for a few quick things.  Now this was Mason's second shopping trip of the day so he was pretty much DONE.  I tried to be creative.  In the cart, out of the cart, walking, in the back of the cart, goldfish, fruit snacks.  But by the time we were checking out, he was throwing things.  Grabbing things.  (WHY do they put pieces of cake near the checkout lanes???  Wasn't candy bad enough???  "CAKE!  I WIKE CAKE!!!")  And yelling.  Loud.  Singsongy, nonsensical,  happy yelling, but yelling nonetheless.

I finally paid and we were on our way out of the store and an older man stopped me and said with a grin "How much will you take for that boy?  He looks like a good one."  (Ok this was not in a creepy I-am-going-to-take-your-kid-and-do-bad-things-to-him way.  It was in a nice-old-guy way.) So I said, "Well, if you had asked me five minutes ago, I might have paid you to take him.  But he is doing ok now so I guess I'll have to keep him."  He laughed and said that they grow up so fast and aren't little long.  This is certainly a reminder I need hourly daily so the interaction gave me a smile.

We continued out of the store and I looked down at Ellie riding in the cart with this look of horror.  She was on the verge of tears so I said "Isn't that funny that that man wants to buy Mason! Should we sell him?"  Her immediate reply was "NO!"  Then she added "Unless he just wants to borrow him and he'll bring him back."  And then a few minutes later (I'm pretty sure Mason took a swing at her for no reason)"Well for like eighty five and a hundred dollars we could sell him."  I said "Do you mean $8500 or $185?"  She said "one hundred eighty five dollars. " So there you have it.  A pesky brother will currently sell for $185.

NO NANA HE IS NOT FOR SALE!


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All of this happened after Mason's allergy testing.  He was such a trooper.  And I don't know what people did before portable DVD players and the movie "Ice Age".

The test wasn't so bad.  They didn't have to do individual needles.  It was more quick and not quite so painful that what I remember having (and what I know other people have recently had).  Maybe it was the kiddie version?

Anyway, the ONLY thing he reacted to was MOLD.  All kinds of MOLD.  Major eruptive reaction.  Not dust, pollen, cats, dogs, only MOLD.  I was very surprised.  I am sure living in the Little House did nothing to help with his allergy.  But thankfully now our house is not contributing to the problem  (Except the 15 bread heals that are molding in the pantry)

The doctor actually said mold is a hard one because it is EVERYWHERE:  soil, mulch, air, potting soil, houses, buildings, everywhere.

I am a little worried about his room at school.  We are in a very old building and I know for an absolute fact that there is a lot of mold.  I am going to get a dehumidifier and a HEPA filter for the classroom.  Mason is on a new medication to try to manage his symptoms.  We'll see how it goes.

But, my mom is retiring TODAY so she says all she will have to do is write letters to all the powers that be at WKU about her grandson who is being subjected to horrible moldy conditions.  Go Nana.