She Who Must Be OBEYed

This hat just called out my name in a surf shop while the kids were getting new wetsuits. Let me tell you, it is so convenient. Now I can just snap my fingers at naughty kids and point at the hat!

Today after church we stopped off at the market with all the kids plus a bonus (Ricker's sidekick, Hynek). After filling two carts, we were finally checking out when I caught Elianna Ray flirting and playing peekaboo with a lady from the next aisle. On second glance I realized that -- Good Night, Nurse! -- it was Sandy Spurgeon McDaniel, a childhood development specialist who writes a column in the Orange County Register.

OH NO!

Sandy regularly comments about mothers, fathers, families, and kids that she's observed behaving inappropriately and offers stern advice about how the situation could have been handled better. Frankly, I love her column. She's funny, and smart, and right on the money, in my opinion, about discipline and teaching personal responsibility. BUT... What kind of madness had she witnessed while I corralled seven rambunctious, full-grown goats through the market?!? (See previous post.) I wanted to smile politely, and then run away screaming.

She was very sweet, and we had a nice chat, and later, she even complemented my boys for saying, "Have a happy day!" and I didn't even bribe them with a Wii to get them to do it either! I did a little happy dance right there in the parking lot. I'm NOT a failure as a mother! Dr. McDaniel says so! HOORAY!

When we were leaving she asked what our names were again, and Michael quickly remembered her tendency to parlay other people's poor parenting skills into the next morning's article, and said, "Um... er... yeah... I'm Art Vandelay. I'm in the latex business. And, this is my wife, Sheila." Mr. Funny Man.

And, by the way, if Dr. McDaniel's next column happens to mention having encountered a wild, motley bunch of unruly rapscallions in Villa Park, then I've never met the lady. Never heard of her. What were we talking about?