“Isn’t that against the law, Mom?”

Hannah and I bumped across the strip of grass separating the church parking lot from the shopping center parking lot.

“Well, not really. More like against the rules.”

How do I explain to a little rule-follower that after one missed turn and two u-turns that still didn’t get me to the right driveway, I was NOT going to sit through another cycle of stoplights?

WHUMP!

We cleared the curb and made the turn into the Krispy Kreme lot. And at the prospect of impending donuts, Hannah forgot about her moral dilemma.

We went to Krispy Kreme at noon on a weekday because we were coming from Hannah’s 9yo checkup, where she got two shots.

KK is kind of an after-shot tradition for the kids. And this time I’d gotten a shot too, since the pediatrician was offering flu shots to family members. After much hand-holding and whimpering (on my part; Hannah did fine), we left with matching band-aids.

Guess whose arm is whose:

I know — My gloriously youthful and unsundamaged skin fooled you. But mine IS the arm on the left.

So we’d both “earned” a donut. Plus, I needed to find two dozen chocolate donut holes – my assigned contribution to Abby’s kindergarten Halloween party this Friday.

I tried Publix yesterday. No donut holes anywhere. I did find Entenmann’s Brownie Bites, which are round and chocolate and the correct size. But since nobody told me WHY I’m bringing donut holes, I don’t know if I can substitute.

I now do know that our local Publix in-store bakery doesn’t make donut holes on weekdays.

(In case you’re ever in the market for them. You’re welcome.)

Meanwhile, back in Krispy Kreme, we realized that the “hot donuts now” sign wasn’t on. Then we went to the counter and saw that Krispy Kreme itself did not have any donut holes. <grumble>

Donut holes had become the bane of my existence.

So we each consoled ourselves with a not-hot donut and a shared bottle of milk. And $4 poorer and 400 calories richer, we continued our donut hole quest.

Off to Walmart. Got off the freeway and missed a turn AGAIN. I think it has something to do with the stream torrent of conversation that flows from the back seat when I’m with Hannah.

Since we’d turned toward another Publix, I figured we’d stop to see if their Krispy Kreme display had donut holes.

Eureka! They certainly did! So I got three dozen for good measure. I hope Abby’s teacher appreciates all of my efforts.

Back in the SUV, we prepared to make a Chik-fil-A drive-thru. That’s when Hannah exclaimed something about our almost-empty milk bottle.

She handed it forward, and this is what I saw:

So… Do you think I should be worried?

PS Late afternoon Barf Report: No stomachaches or throwing up so far. Maybe the lid meant November 7th?

I think we’ll keep the bottle till tomorrow in case we have to sue someone.

For more Just Humor Me, visit Moms, Ministry and More.