Our fridge was bare.
We were in desperate need of filling it up.
I really don’t mind shopping with the kids.
I try to have my list and coupons organized and ready to go.
I have a plan and I am ready to execute it!1
This latest shopping experience started two days ago.
The kids and I entered the store with the intent to knock out all the produce we needed. We had already that morning spent a couple hours at the library and eaten some lunch out together, so I knew that with nap time approaching our time was limited. We gathered our produce and the other necessities we needed and we headed to the check out. The boys informed me that they both had to use the restroom, so after checking out we headed straight there, with our groceries waiting on us for drive up. (I love that service with kids and so worth the extra few dollars that I may spend by shopping there vs. Wally World!)
We took care of business, walked to the car, buckled three kids in to their seats, and then pulled up to get our groceries.
This woman came out with this shocked look on her face. I gave her my number and she gasped, “I just gave your groceries away to somebody else!”
“Well alrighty!” I said. “Now what?”
She rushed back inside and grabbed the manager. The manager took my number and said I had two options. I could either shop all over again or wait and see if the people returned my groceries. With three tired children in the car I opted for door number 2!
The minute I walked in the door my phone rang. The manager said that the other customer had realized the mistake and turned around and brought the groceries back to the store. (Nice folks!) The grocery store then offered to deliver the groceries for me so I wouldn’t have to make a return trip. And so…a few hours later, my groceries arrived. Dinner plans had to be changed, but beyond that, no harm done.
Grocery shopping Take 2:
Yesterday morning, with time on our side, we headed back to the store to finish it all up. Now that Adelyn is getting older she isn’t always so content to sit in the front of the cart (as she is in the above pic), so I thought it might be fun to let her and one of her brothers ride in one of those car carts where they sit waaaay up front. I would then let one of the boys push a little shopping cart along with me. We would then, half way through the shop, switch places, so that both boys could do both things. In my mind it was to go splendidly!
And then reality happens.
We first enter the store. Ethan grabs his little cart. Adelyn scrambles to get down saying, “Me toooooo! Me tooooooo!” and she runs over and hops in to one of the car carts. She is happy as a clam until she realizes that her brother is about to climb in beside her. Sister did not want to share. A few tears and some repositioning later and we were off.
All went well for the first ten minutes or so and somewhere right between the black beans and cereal bars Adelyn had enough. I moved her up front with me and then had this amazing thought. Why not let both boys push a little shopping cart around the store? It could be fun! Sooooooo…we returned to the front of the store where I announced my bright idea to my offspring and Grayson bounded off to get his own little cart.
We were like a little train moving around that store. Me with this HUGE car cart followed, somewhat in a line, by two little boys and their carts.
Every aisle we would walk down I would need to remind them to stay “right behind Mommy” so we didn’t block up the entire lane. And nearly every single aisle we would block the entire thing anyhow.
There were many kind glances, many patient people who waited while I pulled a cart here, tucked a child there, etc.
At one point we had to spin around and as Grayson tried to turn his cart, which was now at least half full, the cart and it’s entire contents went tumbling to the ground, right in front of this man who was trying to pass. Thank the Good Lord nothing breakable was in there. The man’s response? “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.” Then he kept walking. Thanks. 
So we keep on keeping on. The boys really were so good! They were following behind me, helping me look at pricing and brands and sale items, not begging for this or that or anything.
Then we get to the meat department.
All the sudden Grayson starts grabbing his rear end saying, “Mommy! I’ve got to go poopy!” “Grayson,” I said, “You have to wait!" He continued to grab himself and said, “I’m too late Mommy!” I said, “No Grayson. You’re not too late. You’re fine. You can wait.” And he was fine. And he did wait. Shew!
So the carts are finally filled and it’s time to go.
I ushered the boys ahead of me at the check out counter and had them unload their carts first.
I got stuck behind that huge car cart and at that moment Ethan and Grayson start fighting over what sucker they were going to get after we checked out. They were pushing and shoving and crying. I couldn’t get to them! The cashier had to reach over the counter and split them up. Proud mothering moment.
I finally did move the cart and get up to them, separate them, calm them down and all that jazz. At the same time I look back and Adelyn is pulling magazines off the racks left and right. This other Mom behind us in line started taking magazines from her and putting them away for me.
Dude, I just so wanted out of there.
And then the cashier totaled it up and I swiped my debit card.
And then I realized that I hadn’t given her my coupons which was one of the main reasons why I was shopping at that particular store that day.
Sigh.
I had to go to the customer service counter and have them take care of getting me my refund.
My kids were done.
I was done.
The lady behind the counter had no idea what she was doing. It seemed to take her forever.
My kids were getting wound up. They weren’t being whiny, but wild. They were wanting to lay on the ground and tickle each other.
Disclaimer: I did not take this photo at the service counter. This was taken at the very end of the shop, tucked away in the back of the store, while I was sorting the items between the carts.
After the lady finally gets it all figured out she looks at me and says, “That will be $1.83”
I laughed.
I told her that I shouldn’t be paying her anything as the entire point in my being there was to be reimbursed for the coupons that I forget to give!
She called someone else up to help.
I got my refund.
I turned around and told the kids “We’re done!”
Then I made eye contact with this woman waiting behind me in line and I said, “At least I’m done!”
Love it.
