Whatever happens to you this week, it cannot be as bad as this…..

We have a Monday ritual at my house. We go to the grocery store, list in hand to purchase our groceries for the week. Prior to school getting out, it was usually just Mark that went with me, and occasionally Katie. Lauren was always very jealous that she did not get to go to the grocery store. Well now that school is out I take all three. I know I am just asking for the punishment I receive. The grocery store I frequent knows how to cater to the younger crowd. The kids get a free cookie at the bakery, and there is candy (i.e. Smarties, taffy, Jolly Ranchers etc.) that the checkers give to the kids at the check stand. Now you understand why my kids beg to go to the grocery store.

As the free sugar is consumed it goes straight to their heads and our grocery experience becomes littered with Lauren, and Mark is quickly picking up on it too, “Can we get__________ (fill in the blank.” And me saying, we don’t need, or we already have, or just flat out “no” to every sugary substance in site. Additionally Lauren likes to wonder off, because she finds the healthy food I am placing in the basket to be so frightful, she needs to scout out the next sugary substance and plan her strategy to wear me down to “yes” put it in the basket.

Mark likes to stand on the bottom rung of the cart and hold onto the end of the basket. I allow him to do this because then he does not wonder the isles. It’s kind of a lesser of two evils sort of thing. His newest thing is to drag one foot on the floor, while keeping one foot on the rung and still holding onto the basket. This occasionally results in him falling off the cart, and the cart running into or over him. Plus with him standing on the bottom rung on the end of the cart, it creates weight and balance issues for me trying to maneuver the cart through a crowed Utah County grocery store full of crazy mothers with children, or slow old people.

Katie, well she just sits in the front of the cart, taking in all the action, and attempting to grab anything within her reach whether it be inside or outside the cart.

By the time I reach the check out I feel beaten down, worn out and definitely ready to take my children and my groceries home. On Monday we approached the check out, placed our items on the belt and the kids got their piece of candy. The checker was merrily ringing up our stuff, and a bagger began packaging our grocery store finds. The bagger was a young kid, probably 16-17. He looked at me, looked at the kids and then said to the kids “I’ll bet your grandmother spoils you.” I stood there in stunned silence, astounded that he thought I was their grandmother. The checker quickly corrected him and told him I was their mother. Apparently taking three kids to the grocery store quickly ages anyone. Going to be looking in to Botox.