Milk and Apple Juice

My daughter was sick today.  It wasn't just any old sick day.  M is out of town, so I was up late last night because I can't seem to control my night-owl self.  I also had to be up early this morning because I'm the room parent in K's class and needed to be at school this morning for a major project with some of the kids and their parents.  I'm sure this goes without saying, but please indulge me: I was frantically calling people this morning trying to reschedule our big project for another day.  All while trying to get my healthy child off to school.  Thankfully, Mr. Mao drove all the way to our house to take us to the bus stop since we were running so late.  Also thankfully, he has a young daughter and understands that kids can get sick overnight.  I don't think he minded to much that I let him go home after we got C on the bus.  Ugh!  What a morning!

What's that?  You're wondering what this has to do with milk and apple juice?

It turns out that I haven't been to the grocery store in a while.  In fact, I know this will shock you, I was planning to go today.  I even had a list!  Ah... life's little interruptions.  I had told the kids just yesterday that I would pick up some apple juice when I was at the store and we are almost out of skim milk.  We have about 5 liters of lowfat milk, but the sick child likes the skim.

The "givens" so far:

    - K is sick
    - M is out of town
    - I sent Mr. Mao home

The "find":

    - I need milk and apple juice

Enter Ayi.  Xiao Tao has her own scooter!  Xiao Tao can run to Carrefour for me and pick up these couple of things to tide us over until I can get to the store later this week!  Yes!  So I showed her the skim milk and said I wanted 4, then I said "apple" in chinese and motioned using the milk box that I wanted 8 smaller boxes.  Great!  What a relief!

At least that's what I felt until she got back.  She came into the kitchen and pulled out 2 bags of apples.  My tired mind thought, that's weird, it's not like Xiao Tao to get anything extra.  Then it hit me.  The juice part of the message never made it through.  Sigh.  I should have used the translator.  Then she pulls out 4 liters of lowfat milk.  Another sigh.

Some days I'm really ready to come home.