Mommy's "Happy Pills"

We were walking down the candy aisle at Walmart when the kids got all excited. "Are we gonna buy some candy Mommy?" asked Hannah, obviously with heart aflutter. "No, honey... I'm buying something for me this time," I answered her. Looking chagrined, she murmered, "you're buying kisses, aren't you?" (imagine the tone a woman uses when she's referring to her lover's "other woman"). "Yes, baby." "But whyeeeeee can't weeeeeeee have any of your kisses?!" "Because, baby, they're like Mommy's happy pills... when I'm needing to calm down or just have a happy moment, I eat one and feel a little better. You have your cookies and your lolipops you get for being good, and, well, these are just Mommy's special treat." "Oh, ok... I get it," she answered me, with a look of new understanding once her treats were mentioned... she knows Mommy doesn't eat her goodies, and got the connection.


Fast forward to the next day, I'm driving in the car and I get cut off by some guy who apparently didn't notice me coming down the road he was turning onto, and without looking, the driver pulled right out in front of me, making me have to brake harder than usual to accomodate him rather than end up wedged in his driver's side door. "Moron!," I (ashamedly) exclaimed. "What's wrong Mommy?" my darlings asked in unison. "Sorry kids, it's just that bad drivers put Mommy in a very bad mood and make me angry. I shouldn't have name-called though." Next remark was priceless: "That's ok, Mommy. When we get home you can have one of your happy pills and feel all better"...


If only it were that easy, baby. Now I have to brainwash the events of the last few days so they don't think mere substances can erase heartaches and pain. But first I'll have a good giggle at their sweet humor :) But I got the lesson... my snide sense of humor can sometimes teach them the wrong ideas, and maybe (ok, certainly) I need to keep a tighter reign on my tongue around them.