Grocery Store

A trip to the grocery store is a very well planned and organized event. Yes, event. It takes me the entire day to: 1)build up the energy; 2)organize the kids; 3)decide the best time (between meals, naps, and potty breaks); 4)which transportation device to use when in the store (sling, carrier, stroller, shopping cart).

For the past 4 years, I have delegated most of the shopping duties to my ever helpful husband. He has done a great job. Although he doesn't always look at the prices or the quality, he always comes home with a treat for me.

Now that my husband is working such long days and the twins are heading to bed a mere hour after he arrives home from work, I feel that I can no longer ask him to take time out of that precious hour to pick up groceries. I have started doing a lot of the grocery shopping after bedtime, but sometimes I need to pick up a few items to make dinner extra special. I still haven't figured out how to plan meals for an entire week. I did try it when I was working, but so often the ingredients would not get used because I was too tired to cook or I felt like eating something different when I did. So, often the 'What to eat for dinner?' decision is made around lunch time the day of.

I have decided to make the tasty roasted vegetable dish that my sister introduced me to for dinner tonight. Alas, the recipe requires some ingredients I don't have in the house. Usually I would just forgo the ingredient, but in this case it is needed. And I need some milk. I always need milk.

I figure the best time to head out is after the baby's nap, when he is fed and rested. Also, I need to make sure the twins have eaten, to prevent any meltdowns in the middle of an isle. Oh, and don't forget the potty. I have to make sure the twins have just gone potty or the entire thing is off and we will have to start again another time.

For the mode of transportation, this all depends on how each of them have been acting during the day. I could attempt to put the baby in the carrier on either my back or front, but he doesn't really last all that long in there anymore. If I do that, one of the twins could sit in the chair of the shopping cart, while the other sits in the basket area. Of course, I have to think back to whose turn it is to sit where. I have to enforce sitting in the cart at all times. I have to try to keep them from grabbing everything accessible to them and putting it in the cart. (I have ended up with some fairly unusual items when I unpack everything at home.) Or, I could take the double stroller, strap the baby and one twin into the seats, while the other twin walks or sits on the front. I have not tried this method yet because I am afraid the twin walking will not remain walking and will instead run or that the sitting twin will pitch a huge fit about not being able to get out.

I do try to keep the twins busy while at the store. They pick the vegetables/fruit and put it in the bag. They can pick the cereal/granola bars... There are certain isles that are not quite as entertaining, though.

Once I decide on a mode of transportation, I need to decide whether they will be allowed to pick a treat (ie. candy, ice cream, toy) or not. If I do, I have something to hold over them to make them behave.

Once all the items are picked and we head toward the checkout, I pray that there is no line up. I don't want them all to have meltdowns or start fighting. And I really don't want to have to field all the twin/red hair comments.

Once we are in the car, I can take a deep breathe. I made it and we are all still alive. My back is now very sore and I am in need of some serious caffeine, but we/I survived.

As the time to head to the store drew near, I thought I was prepared and had thought everything through - until the fighting began. The twins are at a stage right now, where they attempt to kill each other at least twice a day. As I was trying to get their shoes on, the fighting began. I picked up the phone, called my mother-in-law, and she wonderfully agreed to watch the twins will I went to the grocery store with the baby. I guess the event will have to wait another day.