And the Bad Mommy Award goes to.....

ME! Yes, sadly, I feel completely fit to be handed this award.

Today as the ominous clouds gathered in the sky and made the daylight dissipate, I decided to take AJ to the grocery store while Amanda stayed home with Kai and Anna Grace.

Every afternoon we get these horrific, stormy clouds that threaten to open up and reveal Noah's nightmare, but they never do. We usually end up with a drizzle here and there and before you know it, we're again standing in the Florida sunshine.

Well, today was different. It wasn't 5 minutes that I had walked into the grocery store that the heaven's opened up. It seemed that lightning bolts were surrounding the place and the clapping thunder ran shivers up my spine as AJ kept saying, "Mama, AJ scared." The rain was falling so hard that you could barely see out the windows of the store. Eventually, the lights went out and they were running on generators.

I repeatedly kept trying to call the house to see how the two little ones were holding up with all the thunder and lightning, but I lost service on my cell and couldn't get a call out. Finally, I head to check out, pay for my groceries and decide to wait it out.

My car, fortunately, was the first one in front of the store, just next to the handicapped parking spaces. But, it was still a good 50-75 feet away in the pouring rain, not to mention having to dodge lightning bolts. So, I waited.

After about 40 minutes, a huge crowd had gathered in the lobby area of the store. Some people were running to their cars and backing them underneath the awning in front of the store in order to load their groceries out of the rain. I thought about doing this, but there was no way I could run with AJ to the car and get him in the carseat before both of us would be totally drenched. Not to mention that he is just now over a cold he'd had for 2 weeks and I didn't want to risk him getting sick again. So I waited some more.

A few minutes later, an older lady I had been chatting with offered to to watch AJ for me while I went to get the car. My first reaction was, "No way! How could I leave my child with a total stranger? What if she takes off with him?". I just smiled and said...."let's see if it lets up". I waited another 10 minutes and nothing. By now, the water was rising up the sidewalk and the thunder and lightning hadn't ceased. She again offered and this time added, "I understand if you don't feel comfortable leaving him." By then, I was envisioning the other two at home hysterical and me standing outside the store for another 2 hours without being able to get through to anyone on my cell phone. So, I turn to the older lady and said, "PLEASE....don't let anyone take him!", and off I ran hopping over 4" puddles in the pouring rain. I got into the car, soaked to the bone, and looked back at the store. There way my baby boy playing with the lady. Whew!!!

I don't know how I could have ever explained to anyone in my family that I handed AJ over to a stranger so that I could get the car. That truly was deserving of the Bad Mommy Award, and if anyone would've told me that they did it, I'd probably have responded with "You're crazy!" I digress. Seconds later, I pulled up under the awning, grabbed my dry little boy and buckled him into his seat, loaded the groceries and we were on our way.

I arrived home to find the two other little ones on the couch watching Max and Ruby with Amanda. They were not phased at all by the going-ons outside. The water was half-way up my driveway when I pulled up. Thank goodness for the blessing of having a garage.

Here I am, an hour after arriving home, and it's still pouring just as hard. Maybe I wasn't such a bad mommy after all. :)