A Trip to the Grocery Store

This post is for my Mom, who has been praying for years now that the chaos that is constantly occurring in her home with our family will just stop. Well Mom hate to brake it to you but It's not going anywhere.

I have come to realize that we all have chaotic lives. Everyone may have different drama but we all have it. Take me for example. I have three very adorable and sweet little boys, who I love dearly. Sometimes I can't get enough of them. I think they are absolutely golden and can not see them ever doing anything wrong.

OK now that I have you all rolling your eyes, Let's leave the Hallmark Channel and jump into reality.

Wednesday's are usually grocery day for me. We wake up, get dressed, cook breakfast, and load up the van. First, I check to make sure I have diapers and wipes, and my debit card. Then I load all the kids back into the van (second time). Then I remember I forgot to put the eggs away, and lock the front door. I turn out all the lights, which after the ten minute search for shoes means every light in the house. Then I load the kids in the car (third time).

Benjamin can strap himself in, so no drama there, but determined head strong Caleb is trying to learn how to do his straps. He tries and tries and while I am strapping Joshua in he starts to have a melt down. After much pleading he finally let's me help him a little (that is I push his finger down while it is on top of the buckle).

Usually the drive to HEB is rather uneventful, unless Benny decides to kick the back of Caleb's seat. We find the closest spot to the front and a cart corral that I can find. No luck today though since the buggy boy has just happened to have collected the carts right before I got there. So, with Josh on my hip and Ben and Caleb in tow, we make our way up the parking lot to the door (for those non-temple residents the HEB parking lot is on a slope). Joshua is struggling to get free. Benny is doing his good deed of the day and cleaning all the cars off with the side of his clothes as he walks by, and Caleb is following a bug across the lane (a very slow bug).

Safely inside the store, I now have to make the decision of which cart to use. Option one: the new "Mom Friendly" cart with the giant red attachment on the front with two extra seats that handles about as well as a semi truck with three flat tires. Pushing this monstrosity pays my chiropractor's rent. Option two: your standard cart which has Joshua in the child seat, Caleb standing in the back exactly arms length from everything on the shelves, and Benjamin either trailing behind, walking in front just close enough to get his heels run over, or hanging on to the side so it is tipsy. Today I choose the standard cart, but only because HEB is under the impression that there are only two moms in the entire city of Temple with more than one child; an idea, which at this moment I am thinking sounds like a smart one.

We start in the Produce. My kids love fruit. I buy two extra peaches in order to replace the ones Joshua and Caleb have grabbed and started eating while I was picking out a bag of grapes. While in the produce I hear repeated questions of "are we going to get a cookie". Six yes's later. Benny says "How bout a donut?" "No Benny they don't give out free donuts", I reply. "Well that is stupid", he says as he accepts his cookie from the bakery lady who compliments me on my adorable children. I offer to trade her one for a cookie, she looks at me as if she is unsure if I am serious or not then giggles nervously and runs back behind the counter.

We continue our slow crawl down the aisles, and using my super human reflexes I manage to catch one pickle jar, two loaves of bread, and a dozen eggs before they hit the floor. After taking a ten minute detour to avoid the toy aisle I look for an open lane. There are two that aren't 20 items or less. So I pick the one with the chippiest cashier and get ready to knock the chipper right out of her. Of course I realize that avoiding the toy aisle was totally pointless cause some now rich and fat grocery store owner once had the bright idea that they could sell more candy and cheap toys if they put them by the register and at a height of 36 inches. Wish it had of been me, cause I would probably be able to afford a maid to do my shopping. The sweet not so chipper cashier offers my kids some balloons with a sucker tied to the end in order to discourage their wandering tongues. "Thank You", I think, "Now I can drag three crying toddlers down the parking lot because their beloved balloon is now floating to Killeen. Not to mention the car seat straps and hands covered in slobbery sucker goo, that I have to unstrap at home.

Finally home safe, I still have to decide whether to feed the kids lunch first or to save my groceries from the 110 degree heat outside. After loosing half of one of my legs, the kids are satisfied with a juice box and some gold fish.

So Mom, I want you to know that I absolutely love my kids and wouldn't trade them for anything. They are the main reason I enjoy this crazy life so much. But each night I too mumble the same words in my prayer, "Lord please help me to be a little more patient tomorrow and help there to not be any contention in our home." Surprisingly, Thursday's are always a little better...but maybe that's because we stay home and play in the pool. The point is no matter where you are in your life one day you are going to look back and laugh at all of this and think "man I miss those days."