Town Day
How to get two kids to town during the winter? First everyone should be fed and clean...this sometimes includes me but is not always possible. Then get a snack and drinks together because someone usually get hungry. Start the car to warm up and hope that nothing major comes up while its running so you do waste a ton of fuel. Then start bundling everyone up...this is generally where things start breaking down and someone ends up in tears. The baby decides that now that we are ready to go out the door she is hungry, the two year old is getting too hot in his winter jacket and I am running around trying to get the last minute things that I often forget like, shopping list, phone or keys.
I am exhausted already but eventually everyone is in the car and the crying ones will soon be lulled to sleep by the car. I have also discovered the major amount of time it takes to get around town with children. Oh how I miss the days of running into a store just to buy one thing and quickly getting out. Now any stop that may at one time taken 5 minutes will inevitably take 15; an stop that may once have taken a half an hour will more then likely take an hour or more. I mean when you factor in the unloading, finding a cart or removing the stroller from the trunk, the quick (or not so quick) stop in the bathroom to change diapers and relieve myself and if you are in WalMart trying to keep a grabby little boy from touching anything because I am sure there could be any number of infectious diseases lurking in there. Don't forget trying to wash everyone's hands because they have been touching things and finally you are out of the bathroom. 15 minutes and you haven't even been down an aisle yet. After finding everything you had on your list, or think you had on your list because of course you forgot it in the car, (and of course it is a list because who would go through all this trouble just for one item) it is off to the checkout line and now that Christmas is getting closer it feels like eternity or maybe purgatory. Finally back to the car to load everyone back up and off to the next store to do it again; although, somewhere in there you have to add a moment for me to feed the little one because we have been in town so long she is hungry.
Long gone are easy shopping days where I could go to several stores looking for one item, or spend a couple hours browsing shops without having to feed someone, the quick in and out of the vehical, and wandering the aisles without a cart or stroller. But if I can make it home with half of my shopping list crossed off and only a few minor tantrums, I think we can call it a successful say in town. Now it is time for a evening watching the 3rd season of NCIS, enjoying the fact that my husband is on days off starting tomorrow, and looking forward to the next trip to town with my whirlwind of chaos!
Today: a good day but I am glad to be home.
I am exhausted already but eventually everyone is in the car and the crying ones will soon be lulled to sleep by the car. I have also discovered the major amount of time it takes to get around town with children. Oh how I miss the days of running into a store just to buy one thing and quickly getting out. Now any stop that may at one time taken 5 minutes will inevitably take 15; an stop that may once have taken a half an hour will more then likely take an hour or more. I mean when you factor in the unloading, finding a cart or removing the stroller from the trunk, the quick (or not so quick) stop in the bathroom to change diapers and relieve myself and if you are in WalMart trying to keep a grabby little boy from touching anything because I am sure there could be any number of infectious diseases lurking in there. Don't forget trying to wash everyone's hands because they have been touching things and finally you are out of the bathroom. 15 minutes and you haven't even been down an aisle yet. After finding everything you had on your list, or think you had on your list because of course you forgot it in the car, (and of course it is a list because who would go through all this trouble just for one item) it is off to the checkout line and now that Christmas is getting closer it feels like eternity or maybe purgatory. Finally back to the car to load everyone back up and off to the next store to do it again; although, somewhere in there you have to add a moment for me to feed the little one because we have been in town so long she is hungry.
Long gone are easy shopping days where I could go to several stores looking for one item, or spend a couple hours browsing shops without having to feed someone, the quick in and out of the vehical, and wandering the aisles without a cart or stroller. But if I can make it home with half of my shopping list crossed off and only a few minor tantrums, I think we can call it a successful say in town. Now it is time for a evening watching the 3rd season of NCIS, enjoying the fact that my husband is on days off starting tomorrow, and looking forward to the next trip to town with my whirlwind of chaos!
Today: a good day but I am glad to be home.
Such a true picture of a mom's day shopping!
ReplyDeleteI HATE doing bathrooms, especially in a Walmart like place. My girls, especially the young one, try to crawl under the stalls. While I am sitting on the toilet. Great fun. I don't know if they have it here, but in the Walmart in the states, the wheelchair stall also has a little strap in chair. Great idea.
Oh, the things I have to look forward to. For now, I LOOOVE my snuggly for shopping. But eventually, Michaela will be too big for the snuggly...not to mention we'll probably have another one by then. Sigh. I'm enjoying being able to strap her on while I still can! I have also seen the aforementioned strap-in chairs...although the one I saw had busted straps. I kind of chuckled at it.
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