Grocery Woes

I went to the grocery store today...with all of the kids. Now this is not an abnormal event. I've been doing it all summer out of pure necessity - unless I want to shop after Nelson gets home(dark), which in our neck of the woods is not a good idea; or go on a Saturday, which I try to avoid at all costs.

It seems that the behavior of the group has declined as the summer has progressed. Yesterday was the crowning glory. The kids were nearly out of control and I was a vision of a mother on the edge.

Needless to say, we left with me in fumes and a few children in big trouble.

At dinner I was letting Nelson know about the trip and the repercussions. I decided to let the boys explain it themselves, foolishly thinking that this might have some kind of wonderful, thoughtful impact.

"Well, we were bad," Aiden said. "Do you just mean that or all of the stuff we did?"

"I think you two should take turns telling Daddy each thing you did," I said, hoping if nothing else, Nelson might get a small window into my world.

"Okay," Aiden began, "well, first I knocked over those drinks."

"I walked by those cards and knocked them over," Dawson added.

"I ran down the opposite aisle of Mama and surprised her," he explained as he drew out the game plan on the table with a big smile erupting.

Dawson now began to giggle as he admired his brother's handy work. "I hopped down the aisle when you told me to stay by you."

"We blocked that man in the wheelchair cart from coming down the aisle because we were both laying on the floor looking at that huge crack," he giggled again nearly high-fiving Dawson.

"And when you were checking out, I ran over to the change machine instead of staying by you," Dawson remembered.

"I guess I did that too," remembered Aiden.

Nelson's eyes were huge; mine were near tears from trying to hold in the laughter. Somehow it all seemed pretty funny in retrospect. Nobody has shopping trips this bad.

I did not feel that way at the store. In fact I told Nelson that I'm not sure I was a very good witness. "People must have been looking at me and thinking that I'm the meanest mother on earth."

Nelson stopped me and said, "I see mothers like you and think, 'Good job!'"

In the end, it was just another day doing "the hardest job on earth", according to my father-in-law. Some days are just better than others. My only hope is that working through days like this will make days in the future a little easier.