Phew! Shopping Day Today

Shopping Day for our family is very interesting. Today was that particular day. Logistics must be considered, lists made, laundry gathered (we do our washing at the laundromat, drying at home), food planned for those staying at home, school lessons determined, etc...

It is always ideal when those details are hashed out. WHY IS IT THAT 9 TIMES OUT OF 10, THEY ARE NOT????

This makes shopping day what mom calls "creative."

First, we decide who will be attending mom, and who will be staying at home. It came to pass after much confused and erratic discussion between the children, that Greyson, Elijah, and Sam would go. Greyson (11) and Elijah (8), tend to frustrate the authority of their older brothers in charge, therefore they are the usual suspects to accompany mom (grin). Sam (2) is at the age where all he does is look for trouble: i.e. getting into hair products, make up, food, and decorating the walls with permanent markers (grrrrrr). Mom likes to keep him right by her side most of the time.

After breakfast devotions (Starr Meade's "Training Hearts, Teaching Minds), we gathered up the laundry (8 loads) and the toddler. The van was loaded, last minute instructions given to the authority figures in the house, admonitions revealed to the wee ones left behind with said authority figures, and we 4 were off.

Elijah decides he would like to play a game on the cellphone. This was fine until he found it quite exciting filming Sam running around the laundromat. Mom confiscated phone and had the two rascals sit down. Laundromat visitation: 30 minutes (2 triple loaders, 1 double loader machine).

Next stop, "The Monster." We call our local "one-stop" grocery store by this surname. Most people are miserable to be there, but still seem to go anyway. It is a sporting event for us to find a parking space as near as the store as possible (preferably near the cart corral). Alas, we do fairly well. Just a short walk to the entrance.

We find one of those extra-long shopping carts with a bench seat. Yeah, it's alignment is perfect with no swaying to the left or right! It also has a working seatbelt to keep Sam strapped in. Many of the old men in the store say "Do ya need a license to drive that thing?" Mom pushes the cart and gives orders to Greyson and Elijah on what items to throw (or place gently!) into the cart. Oh, and one last stop to view the live lobster tank to see which lobster is the toughest. Grocery store time: 1 hour 15 minutes (not bad!).

Last stop, "large warehouse store." We gather up a few things, avoid the video game aisle (smile), check out, and sit down for a slurpee (a treat for well-behaved children.....especially little boys who behaved well all morning!). Warehouse visit: 30 minutes.

We arrive home. The biggest shock of mom's life is in store....THE HOUSE IS CLEAN...INCLUDING THE KITCHEN! Another bonus, Rachel (7) and John (4 1/2) are perfectly content and even well-fed! Thanks Malcom and Noah (14 year old twins).

This is what I call an almost perfect Shopping Day. Nobody hurt, relatively little fighting, food in the house again (until a few days anyway), and mom is not exhausted.

What a blessing!