To Laugh or Cry? Or Both.

So this afternoon I had to go to the grocery store.  I mean, milk and eggs cannot wait in this house.  The world crumbles if Sadie doesn't have her milky.

I load up the kids and talk up the Randall's shopping cart with the little red car in order to get Sadie excited about going.  (That's the one thing that Randall's does better than HEB - provide easy to maneuver kid-friendly carts.)  I only go to Randall's in emergency situations.  Like being out of milk.  Anyway....get to the store, Sadie gets in the red car, and I put Harrison in the cart while still in his infant carrier/car seat.  This only leaves the rack on the bottom of the cart for your groceries.

I had planned on making soup for dinner but had yet to start working on it at 4:30 when I went to the store.  Since Harrison started getting cranky on the way to the store (because, of course, he was tired but wouldn't nap), with his crankiness only getting worse, I thought I should come up with Plan B while at the store.  Milk, check.  Eggs, check.  We go through the freezer section and Sadie says - stop! Open that door!  She wanted me to open the freezer door so she could show me which popsicles she wanted.  Oh, that child!

OK, what if I get some chicken from the deli and go home to make some sides.  You know, something nutritious (and quick/easy) like macaroni.  And salad, which consists of lettuce, dressing, and croutons. So off to the deli we go.  The 79 year old lady working the counter says - I'll be with you in a little while.  She said it as though it was going to be quite a wait.  I asked how long?  With annoyance in her voice, she says - I gotta get this lady a half pound of cheese.  Fine, I think I can wait while you get a half pound of cheese, how long will that take?  Uhm, long.  As we wait, Sadie wants out of the red car.  I help her unbuckle.  I finally get my chicken....Sadie, let's go.  She climbs back into the car and we head to the checkout.

Checkout at Randall's - ugh!  It's 5:00 by now, why don't they have every register open?!  Remember how I mentioned that Harrison was tired and cranky?  He's now tired and cranky and crying.  Has been for a while.  We finally get everything paid for and head to the car.  But we didn't make it.  Sadie leans her head out of the cart, and with excitement in her voice says - mommy, look!  She proudly shows me a cheese tray that she had in the car with her.  Yes, it was a tray decorated with Christmas ribbons.  However, the ribbons were gone, and the price sticker was in shreds.  Seriously, Sadie?  aaahhhh!!!

So, I take the cheese tray from her, which makes her cry.  There's no sound more beautiful than two crying children in the grocery store while everyone looks at you to see what's wrong.  I turn the cart around and go back in in search of a sympathetic looking cashier.  I stand in line again and finally had a chance to share my story.  I'm so sorry, I already paid for my groceries and was leaving the store when my daughter showed me what she had.  Unfortunately she took off the ribbon and shredded the price sticker (and shook the whole tray so that the cheese is a jumbled mess)....I sort of trailed off thinking I'd get a little laugh, maybe a grin, hopefully a - oh, don't worry about it, I'll take it.  But when I saw no expression on her face, I said - I guess I need to pay for it.  She rang it up, and now we're the proud owners of a $10.38 cheese tray.  Party at our place?  We'll provide the appetizer!

Kids still crying, we get to the car.  Sadie's cries now aren't just whining cries.  What now?  Her lip is bleeding.  I didn't even try to figure out what she did.  I just put them both in the car and drove home.  When we got home, what did we do?  We ate cheese.  And I laughed.  That about sums up what my days are like lately.  My children....how I love them!