Sometimes It Just Doesn't Pay To Leave My Apartment

    Like I said, I don't get out much, but yesterday I decided to go to Target. I tell you, some days it just doesn't pay to leave home.
   With me on this grand adventure was my daughter KC, and my two youngest grandchildren, Sweet Pea who is almost 4, and the Little Man who just turned one last week.  KC and I each had a list, and trying to get this shopping trip done before nap time we each took off with a child and went our separate directions.
    I had the Little Man.  We zoomed through the dog food aisle, Christmas row, bedding, toys, housewares, books, cereal row, furniture & picture frame area, and toddler clothing section.  You got it --- the entire store except for men and women's clothing areas.  Oh, and not in the shoe department.  Somewhere along the way Little Man lost a shoe.
    Why, yes, he was riding in the basket seat right in front of me ... but with my hearing loss I couldn't hear his shoe when it fell off and hit the floor.  He can only say a few things like "bite" (as in "feed me"), "Mama", "Bye".   He doesn't say "shoe" or specifically "Uh, Grandma did you see that my shoe fell off back there?" I never noticed his missing shoe until I met up with KC at checkout and she saw him with one shoe gone.
     KC and I took off and backtracked over every aisle I had been down.  Four times. Separately.  So I guess that is the same as covering the areas 8 times.  Precious little Sweet Pea was majorly upset that I had lost brother's shoe.  She took the other one off his foot and from the seat in KC's basket she asked every single person she saw, customers and employees, if they had seen a shoe exactly like the one in her hand.   No, no one knew anything about the shoe.  Customer service? No. Lady working in the shoe department? No.  Lost & found? No.  Any breathing soul in the store? No, no one had seen a little toddler size 5 shoe that surely had fallen from his foot to the middle of an aisle.
    The main thing I was going to Target to purchase?  A book for one of my older grandsons.  The latest in a series he likes to read.  I couldn't find it.  It was advertised right there in the ad so wouldn't you think they would have a display of that popular new book???   I found every other title in the series.  Oh.  The release day would be on Tuesday.  I was there on Monday.  
    By now it is way past nap time, way past my comfort zone & out-in the-world time, Sweet Pea is stressing out over where in the world is that shoe, Little Man just wants a nap, and KC is stressed as well.  Luckily, I have never been a drinker, of alcoholic drinks I mean, because when I get stressed I immediately want my drink of choice -- Dr Pepper.  Had I been a partaker of alcohol I would be drunk every day I guess, since I get stressed over the slightest little thing.   KC is driving and I ask her to get to the nearest Toot N' Totum or Pak-a-Sak drive up window and get me a 44 oz Dr Pepper.  STAT.  ASAP.  Right now!  Please!
    Little Man is crying that "I am so tired" sobbing bawl,  Sweet Pea is talking non-stop about different plans for finding that shoe, and KC and I just want to be home.  Realizing Little Man has kicked the crying up a notch I tell KC to forget the Dr Pepper, just get Little Man home and in the crib!  By now she needs a drink as well (Pepsi), Little Man has gotten quiet (cried himself to sleep) so we whip in the drive thru at the Pak-a-Sak about two blocks from the apartment.  Ahhh.  Two sips of Dr Pepper and I feel so much better.
    We get Little Man in his crib, Sweet Pea happy and playing with the dogs, and I get one more sip.  KC heads to her apartment.  Little Man was asleep as soon as his head hit the crib mattress in my bedroom.  I got my shoes off and got comfy before I decided what I really needed with my Dr Pepper was popcorn.  I sat my Dr Pepper down on the table next to my big chair and put some popcorn in the microwave.
    Have I ever mentioned Little Man is the lightest sleeper ever?  And that my apartment is really small, therefore you can hear any noise in every room?
    Two things happened.  Some sound, I forget what now, but probably the microwave door being shut, woke up Little Man.  He is crying again.  I bring him to the living room to rock him and about that time I smelled burnt popcorn.  Have you ever smelled burnt microwave popcorn?  I sat him in the floor so I could run turn off the microwave before the burnt smell could get worse (if that would have even been possible) and while I was throwing away the brown, stinky popcorn Little Man spied my Dr Pepper.  Before I could sprint across the room the entire 44 oz (minus 3 sips) was dumped in the light beige carpet. 
    What did I do today?  Cleaned the carpet.  Didn't even go back for the release day of that new book.  I will get it sometime before Christmas.  Oh, and KC called Target today.  24 hours later and the shoe hasn't shown up.   I see another adventure coming for me to take Sweet Pea and Little Man shoe shopping.