Grocery Story

Some how, by default, Thursdays have become grocery shopping day. I have tried a few different time slots to see what works best for the girls since Thursday mornings can be very harry around here. The girls often get to bed late on Wednesday nights due to church, so they are very cranky on Thursday mornings. For a long time it didn't occur to me that if I just put them down for nap early on Thursdays that they would wake up as much happier little campers. (I think it finally sunk in at library time a few weeks ago when Julia and Lydia both went bonkers. I put them to bed early that Thursday, and it seemed to make the day much better.) So, with that thought it place, it became my plan to go to the store right after the girls' nap times.

This idea is much better than going before nap, but of course, when you're talking about planning things with preschoolers, there are always kinks in the system. So, the girls woke up early, and both needed a snack right away. The snack was packed and promised to be delivered as soon as the girls were securely strapped into their car seats. (This is why are car is disgusting.) There was a lot of whining about waiting to have snack, but they gave that up with a few reminders of the consequences for whining. Then Julia started in on what she can bring:

J: "Mom, can I bring pinkie bear to the store?"
Me: "No, I don't want her to get lost. She can come in the car."
J: "Well, can I have a drink?"
Me: "Yes."
J: "Can I bring it in the store?"
Me: "Yes, I guess I'll pack some water."
J: "Well, can I bring my stick-horse, named Matti into the store?"
Me: "No, Julia. Lydia, stop whining. I am getting you water too."
J: "Why, why? Why can't I? Why can't I bring her? Her name is Matti, Mom? She wants to come she'll be sad all alone here. Can I bring her? Why can't I?
Me: "Because, she is too big. She can't come to the store with us. You can play with her when you come back home..........."

So, we finally make it into the car. Julia wants her window down. Lydia freaks out because she thinks I might roll her window down. She does NOT like her window down.

And then, after arriving at the store, I open my grocery list and start the long hunt. I check and re-check the list hundreds of times, pass out samples to my girls, explain to my girls why running away isn't acceptable, try to let the girls help me put things in the cart without going crazy, fumble with coupons, try not to scream at the balloon that has hit me in the face billions of times, go by the seafood area to show the girls the lobster tank, and then finally I make it to the register to pay. I gasp at the price, and hope that my coupons are better than I remember. I pay, and then I feel "aaaaah" relief. I have successfully hunted bargains with my two wonderful and frustrating daughters with only a few melt-downs and a somewhat low number of "come to Jesus" meetings with them.

However, today it finally hit me as we were leaving. Usually I don't think about it until I pull into my drive way, but today, it hit me early. My job of grocery shopping is only half done when I leave the grocery store. I still have to load all the groceries in the car, take the cart back, buckle the kids, haul in all the groceries from my car to my house, keep the kids from running to play with neighbors, put the groceries away in their proper places, and come to the unhappy realization that there was still one or two things that we needed that was left off the list. I think I forget the ordeal from week to week due to God's goodness and grace in my life. By next week, hopefully I will have forgotten all about today, so that I can get up enough gumption to do it all again.....
So, that is my not so bad, but crazy as usual day. I'm sure it's not much different than all of yours. But, I hope that you enjoyed your's too! -Amber