The Nuke

So Salome loves her nuke. In fact, about two hours after she was born Joab went across the street from the hospital to buy a nuke for her. Again, oh how life has changed with the third! We vowed never to do a nuke with Mei- then Asa found his thumb...then Daddy gave the nuke to Salome. Here is a funny story about the above nuke from last week:

7:30 AM- race to get Asa and Mei ready to go to school. Put nuke into Salome's mouth and give her to Daddy. She will "play" on the guest bed while Joab does a conference call from home and I take kids to school
7:35 AM- Big kids and I on the bike. Asa sits in front- Mei sits in back. Asa asking me "why do people have to go to work" all the way to first Mei's school and then Asa's.
8:15 AM- Return home. Nurse baby. Pack up baby. Put baby in stroller.
8:45- Leave house to head to light rail train station
9:00 AM - On the train- but OH NO! Forgot the nuke! Quick text my friend (whose house I am headed to tutor her kids) to see if she has a nuke. She does not! So I need to go find one...shoot.

The train stops- I get out- have to carry the stroller down all the steps out of the train station (usually escalators here go up - but not down). It is raining....and I need a grocery store fast.
9:05 AM- find a grocery store! Cross four lanes of traffic and into the grocery store
9:15 AM- Enter grocery store! But have now completely forgotten how to say the word "nuke" in Chinese. So I say "that thing they put into their mouth". The lady thinks I mean formula- so that did not work. Then I say "the fake thing that is in your mouth" with this they completely think I am nuts. And now are just ignoring me. But finally I persist and ask "where are the things for a baby that they can not eat". Now they understand and point me to the nuke section.
9:25 AM- Enter nuke section. Which means I get to pick from ONE kind of nuke. That is right- they have just one kind of nuke. I am now day dreaming about the Target section of Nukes...
9:30 AM- Back to reality. I pay for the nuke- a whole USD 50 cents.
9:35 AM- Back on the road- nuke in mouth- and now she sleeps.
9:45 AM- Baby still asleep- reach friend's house- thankful I spent 50 cents for that nuke