Wrong time, Wrong place

I went to the local cool store with gifts and penny candy today. With all the kids. At 1 pm. Everything was going fairly well when a nice old lady, who I don't know from Adam, recognised me from church. After commenting on how amazing it is that I can keep track of them all she began to tell a story, loudly, in the crowded store, of how one of my boys had fallen out of the window at church. Since falling out of windows is topped only by drowning and cars on my list of mothering neurosis, this was hard for me to listen to without my insides shrivelling up with embarrassment and shame. I think I managed to recover externally pretty well, while internally wanting to shout that she MUST be mistaken.

We moved on to another part of the store.

Then we went to check out. Then Thaddeus started to fuss. Loudly. Then Arveragus started. Loudly. I had to write a check while balancing the fussy baby and keeping tabs on the fussing toddler. This was when the sweet, young, attractive girl at the register said "You look haggard."

Thanks. I hadn't known. Now I feel MUCH better.

But it's nice to know that other struggle with similar situations.