I PAID FOR THOSE STRINGS DUDE!

I have been a little under the weather the past few days. Our seven-year-old began complaining about a headache and feeling hot last night, so I assumed that I passed something on to him.
He and his sister love school, so when it was time to wake him and he just moaned... I told Daddy to just leave him home with me.
I realized it was a mistake around 8:30 AM. His feet hit the ground and I heard Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii and a series of slurps on a blueberry freeze pop. For the next hour or so I was tapped and asked a thousand questions.
This kid was just fine. He just needed some sleep. He was rejuvenated and I wasn't.
I knew I needed to get some rest so I could go back to work on Wednesday AND so I would not end up on the news!
"Okay. Mommy still doesn't feel well so I need for you to help me out buddy."
He nodded but didn't make eye contact.
"Can you please get me a bottle of water from the kitchen?" I asked gingerly.
"For one dollar," he smiled.
I just covered my head with the blanket.
I did manage to get some rest before I remembered our daughter needed a red shirt for a Dr. Seuss activity at school tomorrow. So I slowly got myself together and yelled for our son to get dressed.
He put on his favorite shirt, which Daddy hates, jeans and red and silver Nike's I'd forgotten about. I was just impressed that the shirt and shoes matched.
"I didn't know you could still wear those," I told him.
"Yep!"
I didn't feel well and had been squinting from sinus pressure, so I wasn't sure if his shoes actually were without the shoe strings.
"Where's the strings?" I asked, while getting a little closer.
"Remember when I tried to make the puppets with those socks and ..."
I cut him off before he reminded me about something I probably got mad about at an earlier time.
"Well since they (shoes) still look pretty good, I will just get some gray strings for them."
We found the strings but I couldn't tell, from the small package, if they were too long. I managed to find an associate. She didn't help much. She told me that all the strings- adult and children's were together.
I was in a hurry, didn't want to come back for $2 strings and was tired of him walking beside me, sliding his feet so they would not come off. Yes, I should have made him wear other shoes until we got the strings but... didn't I say I didn't feel well!!
So I opened the top of the box- I didn't rip or break it- and took a string out to see if it would work.
"Mama... can you do that?" he asked.
"It is okay. I am just tryin' to make sure these aren't too long. They look too long," I assured him and snatched one of his shoes.
It worked so I fixed the other shoe.
He looked around as if we were stealing.
I placed the small box in his face.
"SEE! There is another set in here and we are going to take IT to the register and PAY for it!"
He slowly walked behind me.
EVERYTHING was rung up and we proceeded to leave the store.
I looked around me and didn't see our son.
He was actually standing back in the store with his ears covered.
Initially I didn't realize what he was doing.
"Come on here!" I yelled.
The greeter looked at him. Then at me.
I walked over and grabbed his hand.
As we walked pass the greeter and through the "security or scanner area" he said, "I thought the alarm was gonna go off."
I didn't look back at the greeter.
"I PAID FOR THOSE STRINGS DUDE!"
I'll never do that again. Coulda gotten me locked up for nothing, or searched!