Ode to Batteries

My mom always kept huge stashes of batteries in the fridge and freezer (thus extending their life span). I'm talking several years' worth of batteries - multiples of the big Costco-sized battery packs.

I always thought she was nuts. She had every conceivable size of batter in excess. Why on earth, I wondered, would anyone need so many batteries ever?

Of course, I thought I should probably have a few more on hand - since the flashlight batteries only ever die when the power goes out and Himself goes through cordless mouse batteries like women go through toilet paper.

But today, I learned the true reason my mom hoarded batteries - CHILDREN.

Baby Girl's bouncy seat batteries gave up the ghost this morning. They died a prolonged, irritating death, causing the bouncy seat to screech out the same horrid bars of "Pop goes the weasel" over and over and over and over again. It even drove Baby Girl nuts.

Because I refuse to schlep Baby Girl into a store after work just for batteries, there will be no self-entertainment tonight while I fix dinner. Baby Girl will have to content herself with Mr. Duckie as she sits in her non-vibrating, non moving, bouncy seat on the counter while I cook.

I'm bracing myself for World War III.

The next time I go to Costco, I'm going to hang my head, mutter an apology and follow in my mother's battery hoarding footsteps - in five different sizes.