The Mama's Boy Strikes Again

So, about my mama's boy.


Today, in Costco, he was happily sitting in the cart while I unloaded our small number of items. I walked down the one side and he rode down the other, still smiling. Then the guy who puts your stuff back in your cart after it's been paid for got between the cart and the checkout counter. The Little Buddy could no longer see me and he had, like, a mini psychotic break. For real.


The poor guy was only standing there for about three seconds and by the time he moved Matthew was silent crying. His mouth was agape, tears were dripping off the end of his face, and his hands were in tight fists up by his chest. The checker joked to his coworker, "What did you do?"


I explained that Matthew's picture is in the dictionary next to "Mama's Boy" and then switched into my most soothing, I-promise-not-to-leave-you-ever voice, and told my boy that he was fine, nothing was going to happen to him, and mommy loves him very much. The Little Buddy flies off the handle frequently. Generally I try not to coddle him too often--he'd insist on being held twenty hours a day if it was up to him--but this was seriously crazy upset. Crazy. I mean, he was acting like he was the victim of a shark attack and simultaneous wildebeest stampede while being thrown into a den of lions that cohabitate with angry killer bees. Even when I lifted him out of the cart he continued sobbing and grabbing at me with wild abandon.

Eventually I had to put him back in the cart because I'd promised the boys hot dogs and I needed to fish out my money. He was only partially calmed down when I put him back in and he instantly went right back into total and complete epic meltdown mode. As I ordered, I knew, somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, that he was slowly calming down. When I received the hot dogs and turned back toward the cart, I saw The Rock Star standing on the rack underneath the cart. His hands were holding firmly to the handle and he was whispering to his brother. "It's okay, Matthew. It's okay. You're in our family forever and mommy always, always comes back. She will always be here. She's never going to leave you."

Matthew, with tears still streaking his face, was smiling at his brother.

And I said a little prayer asking God to please let me live until these boys are grown. On account of the fact that my oldest son promised my youngest that I'll always be around.