My coffee, however, was perfect.

The other day I lugged all three kids to Target, since weather had cancelled school for Leah. (Yes, that's right - it may have been too yucky for kindergarten, but not for a shopping trip! That's the way we roll here in the frozen North.) Since I got myself a coffee, it was only fair that the kids got an Icee - and then they were much happier about walking instead of riding in the cart (which was my goal the whole time - a little exercise in an otherwise stationary day). We got the drinks and were setting off to get diapers (grrr) when Leah yelped, "My drink is spilling!"

She was holding her drink upright and it was still spilling out the top of the lid. I'd only filled the cup to the top of the lip, not the domed lid, but evidently it had continued to swell. The stuff was gushing out the hole around the straw, and no, it didn't just leak and stop. It kept coming. It was like an ice-cold volcano, and I was now stuck with it in MY hands, in the middle of the aisle, with two kids walking and a baby in the cart.

So I did what any logical, loving, caring mother would do.

I deserted the kids and went to save the drink.

I skedaddled over to the beverage station, dumped some out, and wiped it all off with napkins AND THEN realized that I'd left the kids back quite aways. Now, I've never been accused of being overly attentive or obsessive about my children's whereabouts, but I usually do like to keep them within view when in public.

Once I came to my senses, I wiped the drink off the floor by the cart, dragged the kids back with me to the trash/beverage station, wiped Leah off, grabbed some wipes intended for disinfecting cart handles to clean our hands, and headed back off to finally get to shopping.

During this whole fiasco, not ONE of the lovely Target employees even noticed anything going on. The store was a long ways from busy at that hour, and several folks in red were walking around, and I surely could have used someone to help clean up - I was even wiping the floor in front of all the check-out lanes, and no one offered assistance. I love me some Target, but I was not impressed with the lack of helpfulness. Especially since usually people see a mom with three kids and react with utmost sympathy.

But the lesson I'm taking from this? Fill that Icee cup only half way, just in case it's a mutant.

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What's the stickiest situation you've ever been faced with in public?