Okay, so I know I post a lot… A LOT about how we should be with our children, how even though we have hard times we should be so thankful we have them and that we should be gentle with them and not let ourselves get frustrated, and all of that is completely true, we really should, but, with that being said I don’t ever, want any of you to feel like I am in any way perfect…. HAHAHA… oh, sorry about that I just had to take a minute. I am far (like as far as Earth is from Pluto far) from perfect. So, I just thought I would share a few of my imperfections and a few of my biggest annoyances when it comes to being a mommy and I’m sure many of you will be able to agree with me…. and if you don’t, well, you’re lying 😉
FIRST off, you know when you get to go to the grocery store BY YOURSELF!! Yes, best ever, like a nice little vacation just you and your shopping cart, you can go down whatever aisle you choose, check off every single item off your list and you even have time to check to see what items are on sale and may even decide to check out the candy aisle so you can get yourself a nice yummy treat!! But let’s be real, how often does that really happen, for me, it’s not very often so let’s just get a run through of what has to happen to even make it to the grocery store.
Well, let’s see, first off you have to actually get all the kids dressed, have you ever actually counted the amount of articles of clothing it takes to clothe 4 children, if you’re lucky the girls may only need 2 each but, in most cases they skip the dresses so that’s 2 diapers, 2 pair of underwear, 4 pairs of pants, and 4 shirts (if they don’t get messy during the time that you’re helping someone else get dressed) 12….. 12 articles of clothing and during fall and winter you have to add socks!
Then there’s the shoes, and if you can get to this point and only have to help one child find the shoes that you could have sworn you just saw then you’re doing good. Now we get to loading up the car, this one I can’t really complain about too much, we’ve actually almost mastered our system of loading into the car I just say “climb up, buckle up” and my older two get to it while Isabelle waits for me to buckle Ethan in and then it’s her turn to get in. Now, getting out at the store that’s another story because now you have to figure out how to hold a baby (since Ethan grew out of his sling now… I need a wrap!!), while holding the baby you also have to hold two hands and then still watch out for the oldest which usually means me telling Jeremiah to grab a pocket and then you just pray that they have the carts that can hold 4 children at a time but usually it’s a no go. You see, my kiddos call that buggy the “block buggy” and they go nuts for it, if we can get that cart then it makes our trip be better at least for the first 10 minutes!!
So, finally you’ve made it to your buggy and all in the knick of time because you were not sure how much longer you could wrangle them all through the parking lot. Now, that we’ve made it to the buggy you pray again that the younger three will happily sit in buggy but not usually the younger two don’t mind sitting in the buggy but Caidence always wants to “walk like a big girl” but, walking like a big girl with daddy around is a completely different walking like a big girl when it’s just mommy.
Since we have now finally made it to the shopping part of our shopping trip you just hope that at least no one starts a tantrum now, I will have to say I have been blessed and have so far never had a really, really big “meltdown” I’m talking like the whole kid screaming and laying in the floor not sure my kiddos would ever do that but I hope I don’t ever have to experience that, but, I have had to experience the I’m going to cry super loudly on purpose and make sure to tell everyone “you’re hurting my hand” when we both know that it’s not really hurting at all and I’m only holding your hand because if I weren’t then they would be trying to run down the aisle with all their might and if they weren’t then they would be perfectly fine… those, I have had. But, let’s just hope it doesn’t get to that.
Then, you hit that first aisle… you can usually tell by this point how the trips going to go, or at least how much time you’re going to have. There are always several things that let you know. If they’re just wanting to help pick out things to put in your cart, actually waiting to hear what you need then, you’re probably good to go, if they decide to quietly take their time eating the snack that you didn’t forget this time instead of eating it like they haven’t ever eaten food before then, you’re probably good. But, on the other hand, if they start picking at one another right away then you’ve got about 5 minutes until everyone’s on the edge of loosing it. Also, another warning sign is if they start to get more than 2 feet away from you as soon as you walk through the doors of the store then it’s not going to be a fun trip!!
So, let’s just say that now you have made it through your trip mostly unscathed.. usually meaning they only begged for something about 5 times each and the baby has played the game of throw the bottle the same amount. Then, there’s the dreaded checkout and hopefully there isn’t a line because that’s where the trouble really starts, they totally know what they’re doing when they put all that candy up front, it gets to us adults, just think of what it does with our kids… they can’t resist, there is no telling how many times I have been asked for candy in those lines while waiting… countless. But, then you get to your one meltdown saving moment.. checkout! I always let the kids help with this part, it always helps and always distracts them long enough to forget about the candy and that thing they just thought they had to have so badly!
Now, you’re in the home stretch you’ve almost made it, now you only have to make it to your vehicle and unload the groceries then manage to get the buggy put back and you’re done, you’ve made it! Now, let’s just hope you didn’t forget anything on your list!!
I know I’m not alone in this, and now that you know you aren’t either, share some of your funny… or not so funny grocery store tales, I’d love to hear from you!!!
Resourceful Homeschooling Family 