Funny Girl

     It was 10:00 AM on Labor Day weekend when my babies arrived and by 10:15 we were on the road. My family had been at the cabin in Alexandria since Friday and we were eager to join them.
     Both kids were in stellar moods. They love going to the cabin so they were beaming with excitement. We laughed, sang and told stories. The first part of our trip started off with a bang. And then it stopped abruptly.
     After enjoying an eventless meal at Subway, we headed to the car. I’m not exactly sure if Miles tripped because he stubbed his toe or tripped after jumping off the curb, but what I do know is he eventually ended up on all fours. Tears began to fall. I ran to him, attempted to pick him up but he screamed. Everything on his body seemed hurt. The damage was invisible to the eye though he did have a slight cut on the palm of his hand.
     I gave him a few seconds to compose himself then I helped him up. He put his head on my shoulder and continued to scream. One certainty about my Bud is that his tolerance for pain is non-existent. I found a band-aid in my glove compartment for a person’s knuckle but decided to use it anyway, it was all I had. Miles screamed ‘no’ at the sight of the band-aids unique shape. He was not about to let me apply it. We fought for a minute until I finally slapped the bandage on his little hand and climbed into the driver’s seat.
     I did not truly believe that slapping a bandage on him would end the crying, but I hoped that it might. He ultimately cried harder and ripped the band-aid right off his hand. So I did what any high stressed parent who wasn’t thinking clearly would do, I turned up the radio. Maybe the music would change his disposition. Nope. So I turned it back down and tried to reason with him as we drove down the road.
     “How about a cough drop, Bud? That might help.”
     I know it sounds strange but my kids love cough drops. He stared at me something fierce and continued to cry.
     Then Nola stepped in and said, “Mom, I’m not saying that I am great at math, but a cough drop for a hurt hand, doesn’t add up.”
     I looked at my smart ass, six year old girl and started laughing. She had obviously heard my family make math references in the past and just happened to use it in the right context. What a funny little girl.