The Worst Day, with a Happy Ending

There are some days when I feel like I have nothing but bad luck on my side... like yesterday. Dave had a few business calls to make and we NEEDED groceries really badly, so I decided to play "Super Mom" and take the kids to the grocery store all by myself. Normally this would be easy for most other moms, but my kids are 10 months and 2.4 years old, so, not so easy in my case.

We arrived at the grocery store and found a parking spot kind of close to the entrance. I so wish our local store had designated "mothers" parking, but it doesn't. That's what we get for shopping at the "bargain" grocery store. Any way, I grab my diaper bag, about 8 reusable grocery bags (trying to save the environment, plus the store charges 5 cents per plastic bag), Joseph under one arm, and with whatever free finger I have left, I hold onto Rosie's hand and we walk to the shopping carts. Now, another "bonus" of shopping at the bargain grocery store, is that you have to put a quarter in the shopping cart to unlock it. This is supposed to prevent people from stealing them. Haa haa, it doesn't stop anyone from anything! I've seen my fair share of shopping carts from this store in dumpsters, bottom of ravines, and tipped over in the back of high schools. As if 25 cents is going to stop anyone!! Ok so, I have to reach into my pocket and somehow, pull out a quarter, put it into the slot, and yank the key-lock out to get a cart, all while holding a 25 pound baby, diaper bag, grocery bags, and while making sure Rosie doesn't run into the parking lot. Already I'm regretting this shopping trip. Next, Joseph goes into the front seat of the cart, Rosie goes into the main part with the shopping bags, and we head into the store.

As I shop, Joseph is trying to rip my shopping list into shreds and Rosie is getting annoyed with having to share her space with the food. Joseph turns around and grabs the package of chili seasoning and dumps on the ground. Next, he grabs the milk carton, and chucks it in front of me (I nearly trip over it). It's nap time, and Rosie starts to nod off, and people are giving me dirty looks for piling groceries around a sleeping toddler. As if! I know that nothing heavy is crushing her. All the heavy stuff is tucked around and behind her and only light stuff like bread and cookies are on her lap. It's not like I'm some trailer trash woman, who's over weight, wearing ghetto clothing, and have 6 kids (from 6 different men) screaming and messing up the store - not that it makes it right even then! I'm actually flabbergasted with the dirty looks people are giving me as I shop and one woman even said (in a nasty tone) "you know she's sleeping right?" YES, I am aware and I for one, think it's cute! No, I didn't say that, but I wish I had. I just smiled and said "I guess it's nap time."

So, on to the check out. As I bag my groceries, Joseph decides to turn around and pull Rosie's hair. He does this all the time at home. I really don't know what his fascination is with her hair, but he LOVES to pull it (poor Rosie). She of course starts crying. I don't know if she's more upset about the hair pulling, or the fact that she's been woken up. I quickly move her to the other end of the cart and tuck her legs in so I can put my bags in without crushing her. She wasn't thrilled with the new seating arrangement, but too bad.

Here's where the shopping trip becomes CRAZY! Yes, believe it or not, it get CRAZIER than it's already been. We walk out the door and realize that it's POURING rain!!! No wait, it's pouring buckets and we don't have an umbrella. So here I am, a cart full of groceries, and two crying kids and rain, rain, RAIN! I stood at the doorway for a second, trying to figure out my plan of attack. I'm trying to figure out how to keep the kids dry and how I can get them into the car as fast as possible. Should I tie a bag around their heads... haa haa NO, bad idea. Can I leave them under the part of the roof that sticks out (what do you call that anyway?) where they can stay dry, and pull up the car? I wasn't a fan of that idea either. I can just imagine the dirty looks I'd get for doing that, plus it's not the safest idea. So we just stood there under the roof. I watched about 5 people with umbrellas walk by, they saw my dilemma, but nobody offered any help. Then a man asked me to watch his cart so he could pull up his car. I said "sure" thinking that maybe, he'll offer to do the same. WISHFUL thinking! He loaded his groceries into his car and quickly drove away. Thanks JERK! The only thing to do was to run, run , RUN. I pulled Rosie's hood over her head and warned the kids "we have to hurry. It's raining really hard." I held a bag like an umbrella over Joseph's head and ran as fast as I could. People saw me, and just watched me and the kids get totally soaked. As I ran, a box of Cheerios fell out of my cart. A woman and her teenage daughters walked by and said "you dropped your Cheerios." Wow, thanks.... why didn't they pick it up for me? I had to run back and get them in the middle of the parking lot. The box was all soggy! At this point Rosie and Joseph are really upset. Joseph is making the most confused face ever, and rubbing the water off his face, and breathing quickly because the cold rain is shocking him. Rosie is trying to duck her head to avoid getting more and more wet and whimpering "Mommy!!". I wanted to cry myself! There's puddles everywhere in this crapy parking lot and I accidentally drive the cart right through one, soaking my shoes and the bottom half of my jeans, my favorite jeans!

Ok so we make it to the car, finally! Joseph is first out if the cart. I grab him and run to his side of the car and pop him into his seat and slam the door without buckling him in yet. I didn't think there was enough time to buckle him in because Rosie is still in the cart getting more and more soaked. I then grab the bag off of Rosie's lap and rush her into the car, again, not buckling her in because I need to get those darn groceries in the trunk. I shove the groceries into the trunk, and run the shopping cart back to the place where they keep them locked up (don't worry, the car is locked, nobody can nab my kids out of the car) I get my quarter back, and run back to the car. I run to Joseph's side of the car, buckle him in, run to Rosie's side of the car, buckle her in, and then get myself into the car, FINALLY. I am now soaked from head to toe. My long hair is dripping water into my eyes as I drive out of the parking lot.

By the time I get home, the rain has basically stopped (couldn't it have stopped 10 minutes ago?!?!) but at least I don't have to replay what happened at the grocery store getting the kids into the car, in reverse. I put Rosie and Joseph into the house and I go to get the groceries, trying not to step on the kids as I walk into the house, since they have a tendency to wait right by the door for me. I get into the house and whip off my soaking wet clothing, change the kids into warm dry clothing and complain to Dave about my trip while we put away the food. I'm so thankful he was home to comfort me, otherwise I think I would have cried for a good half an hour. I really don't know how single moms do it day in and day out.

The rest of my day went as usual and then bedtime came. We have a bedtime routine of family prayer, stories, and then I sing "I Feel my Savior's Love" all four verses before tucking the kids into bed. Dave read Rosie her book "Guess How Much I Love You" and I read to Joseph and sang him his song. Usually Joseph is rambunctious and hyper. He's usually kicking and waving his arms around while I sing to him, but not this time. Instead he wrapped his arms around me, and rested his little head against my shoulder, for the ENTIRE four verses. It was so darn cute! I guess it's not just those eyes that give him the "lover boy" nickname. It's been months since he's cuddled up to me like that and I almost forgot how great it feels when a baby is so affectionate. He must have known just what I needed after such a crazy day. I gave him a kiss and put him into his bed. He didn't cry or fuss, and just rolled onto his side and went to sleep. He's just such a sweet baby!

I love my kids so much and am so very grateful for the struggles and joy they bring into my life. I've learned so much from the few years of being a mother, and although it's hard sometimes (today) I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Me Ka Aloha
-Elisabeth