Grocery shopping...

...is something I look forward to doing each week. I usually go to a huge super grocery store and get what I need and then leisurely shop as I get different ingredients for meals or just look at DVDs/books. While I prefer to go alone, I usually end up with the kiddos and I make it fun by giving them certain things to find (which keeps them occupied.) And when I take them, I (and they) need to be in a happy mood, not tired, grumpy, or hungry.

But last week, I needed to go get a few things and although I knew we were all tired, I was hoping it would be painless. I was wrong, lol! I went to a small store this time. Because it was shortly after the Christmas holidays, and the afternoon of a school day, my kindergartener was really tired. It seemed the more I tried to hurry, the longer the trip seemed. And a couple of times, my usually happy kiddo started to whine...ugh!

We finally get to the check-out. And as I begin to take out my groceries, my kindergartener starts to cry. He very rarely will cry. Apparently, I had told him that we'd go check out something he wanted and I had forgotten. I didn't want to leave to go find (whatever it was) and yet was unsure exactly what he was talking about. Each time I asked him why he was crying, he'd say, "I wanted...(unintelligable)" Luckily, after the third or fourth time, an employee walks up and asks if we needed anything. And before I could think, I said "Yes, Can you go get him whatever he wants!" I kept an eye and saw that it was a pack of kool-aid drinks close by but had no idea since I couldn't understand what he was saying. The nice employee brought it to me. The bagger who put our stuff in bags asked if we needed any help to the car and I said, sure!

You'd think that was it...but then, as we were walking out, my toddler dropped his pink now-and-later square of candy. I didn't see that he dropped it. He kept pointing and crying. Since the only thing he had was that candy, I knew what happened. Of course, it was then that someone I didn't know recognized me and started talking to me. I had no idea who the lady was but pretended I knew her and gave her a light hug. I figure that it was a mother or grandmother of a client I used to work with (juvenile parolee.) I said I was glad to see her and pointed to my crying kid and said, smilingly, that I needed to go. As I walked to the car, I looked at the guy accompanying us who made a sound (as in that he couldn't believe the kid was crying!) and I said, Yeah, Birth Control (as in be careful or you'll be in this position too!) I asked my kindergartener to check his pack of candy for another pink one....YES! I gave it to my crying toddler as I put him in his car seat and he was happy.

I tend to get really anxious in situations like this. Looking back, it wasn't a big deal. But in the moment, I wanted to curse for making the decision to go in the first place, lol! By the time all the groceries were in the trunk and we were ready to go home, all was well...