We were at Costco doing our regular shopping. Matt went his separate way to shop for the men’s retreat while I took the girls. Shopping at Costco alone with the girls can be a bit stressful. The endless begging for food, toys, and samples, along with the fighting makes for a not so fun experience. This particular night we were shopping at dinner time so the girls were hungry and extra crabby. Note to self: Never shop alone at Costco during the dinner hour with 3 hungry children.
On the verge of tearing my hair out, I finally finish my shopping. I arrived at the check-out, load all my items on the conveyor belt, keep the girls contained, all the while answering their endless questions. The cashier looks at me and says, “your Costco card is expired!!” with a snotty little expectant tone. I explain to her that our Costco card is through our church. And that I had recently spoken with the church secretary who assured me the membership had been paid. She furiously types on the register, looks at me and says, “you owe $130! How are you going to pay for that?” By this point I’m getting more than irritated as I feel am I being treated like a criminal. Mindful that 3 pairs of eyes are watching what I do and say, I remain calm and respectful . Again, I explain the situation and to my avail she calls over her supervisor. The supervisor was more than polite and keyed in some codes that would allow the transaction to proceed. (Now how hard was that?!)
As I stand there seething with anger, but holding my tongue, Elsie says, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” until she finally gets my attention. “Yes honey?” In her incredible insight Elsie says, “mommy, she is lite the Debil!” Translation: Mommy, she is like the Devil! I’m thinking, “Did she just say what I think she said?” So I ask “what Elsie?” Again she says, “Mommy, she is lite the Debil!” I may have gone a bit overboard when I asked Elsie “what?” four to five times to ensure the cashier heard her correctly. 
The moral of this story….Never underestimate the intuation of toddler!
