Dirty looks: At least five today
You’ve got your hands full: Only one
Damage: Kenneth threw a loaf of bread at a man I’m pretty sure was stoned, so no biggie
This time, I had a list. I had taken the time and energy to find not only a pen to write with but a piece of paper to write on. I hadn’t gone so far as to categorize it, but the fact that I had thought it out was a step in the right direction.
My children have become much more aware of their surroundings lately. It isn’t enough just to ride in the cart while mom throws what we need for the week in. They have to look around and add their opinions.
“I don’t want the red yogurt cup, the blue one is better.”
“Don’t get those chicken nuggets, put them back!”
“You know Daddy’s not going to eat that.”
Yes guys, thanks for the ongoing commentary-why did I pay for speech therapy again?
We were doing great with everyone sitting nicely in the cart until I had no choice but to go down the aisle with the toys and birthday cards. That really is a genius idea, if you are in a hurry or forgot you needed to buy a gift, all you have to do is run in the grocery store. This is only a problem when my kids look up and see toys. And it isn’t just made in Bangladesh crap toys. The grocery store is now carrying Disney Princesses. Oh bloody hell….
“Mommy…”
“No! Santa is bringing you the princesses.”
“Mommy…”
“I said no!”
“Well, can I at least go say hi to Snow White?”
And before I can say anything, she is gone and running all the way back to the dolls. Why did I pay for physical therapy again? I have the boys in the stupid race car cart and it isn’t like I can just quickly turn around and grab her without taking out some stacked cans or an old lady or two. When I get to her she sitting on the floor telling Snow White she can’t wait for her to come live with her on December 25th. Ha.
As I am dragging them away from the toys, they see the birthday cards. The problem with that is that the princesses and superheroes are plastered all over those cards, and now my kids have something new to whine about not getting. Does it matter that neither of them are having a birthday at the moment? NO! They just want the cards. Don’t anyone worry, I do not buy birthday cards to get my children to be quiet for said cards to end up on my car floor boards later.
Check out is fine until we are leaving. The cashier notices the baby is sitting on a can of soup and yanks it out from under him. She looks at me like I tried to rob a bank. Now, if I was going to steal, would it be beef broth, or Hershey’s chocolate? Maybe I should have gone with a birthday card for no one in particular.
You tell me…
Comments (12)
ok im a cashier at gaint, so i see people whos kids are sitting on their stuff everyday. we really dont think that you are trying to steal. we understand the fact that kids make shoping extremly hard, and that look was probley really more of the oh please dont get mad at me for pointing it out to you look. most cashiers are very woried about point things like that out to customers. most customers get mad and in return give you a hard time. but its really nothing to worry about. one time a while back at work i had a couple come through with two carts. one with a baby in it and the other with their food. the baby wasnt but a few months old and wasnt even in a car seat. the dad took the cart with the baby outside while the mom stayed and paid for what we thoiught were all of their order, at least untill my manger saw the dad push the baby in the cart infront of a moving truck and proceding to take off running while the baby rolled towards the truck. he had pulled magizens and advil out from under the child before pushing off the cart. needless to say the mother was in on it too. they were both aqrested and lost the rights to their child. no that is someone we look at as stealing.
~Kala
Kala-I just write what happens every week because I never have a boring trip to the grocery store. I am working on number six as I write this. I saw something similar on Dr. Phil once about a family using their kids to shoplift. Yuck. The cashier did look really irritated with me when she pulled it out from under him. That was funny to me because like you just said, if I was going to steal, it would be a lot more and my husband would be out front waiting for us. But I will be right back there next week, with my three darlings and pay for whatever is in the cart!
haha this reminds me of when i was little. except we would slip things in the cart. my mom would distract us by letting us get something from the bakery to eat while we were shopping
See, as crazy and ridiculous as these stories are, I can't wait to have kids. I HATE grocery shopping, and I strongly believe it will get much, much worse after we start having children. But for whatever crazy reason, I still want it. All of it. Birthday cards and all...
@intothe_horizon@xanga - I agree. It makes everything so much more complicated, but I live for it!
I only have two kids, but one is 2 1/2 and one is 3 1/2, and let me tell you - this is our shopping trip every time. I really enjoy reading your accounts of your crazy time in the grocery store. :)
Before diagnosis, mine was at the age and stage between infant and toddler. Shopping, he had a case of "overstimulation blues" and let loose with a shriek. Elderly woman gives me a glare, and barks at me, "What did you do to that child?!"
I'm baffled. These are problems I had never experienced in my older child. I take up the kids, apologize to one of the staff at the store, and walk out.
Years later, I came across the same woman. By this time, the diagnoses were there - oldest has ADHD, youngest has autism [later discovered to be "high-functioning, moderate autism"]. Both get "into mode". Woman gives dirty look, says, "I should report you and others like you to the authorities!"
I turn to her, and state, "This child has ADHD. This child has autism. Are you a doctor? Nurse practitioner? Educator? DCF agent? No? Have a nice day."
The next time around, perhaps a few months later, she saw me coming and just steered away from me. Gal at the checkout counter chuckled to herself. Seems I was not the only mother she would verbally accost - but it turns out, I was the last. Go figure?
My child has accidentally taken things from the store before, like a packet of seeds that I meant to pay for the next time I went back. She was actually holding onto them at the register (and I was holding her) so they were right in the cashier's face, but around here cashiers either don't care or they give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it's already paid for. I used to be really paranoid about carrying things into the store, like my daughter's toys and stuff, since they likely came from that store... then I noticed that no one ever questioned me.
Anyway, if a cashier actually had the nerve to grab something my baby was sitting on, my husband would probably break their wrist.
@XbabyK@xanga - Ouch.
LOL... I have accidentally walked out the door with so much stuff. Every time I have come back in after the realization and paid for it. One time it was a $8 pack of batteries... it took me three days to have a chance to get back to the store, and I astounded the lady at the customer service desk. I actually had to go back to electronics, pick up the pack of batteries, bring it to the customer service desk and explain that I had walked out the door two days prior with an identical package and that I would like to pay for them now. She just looked at me like I had three heads... and actually tried to let me take the new pack with me. I had to remind her that they were still the store's.
@keystspf@xanga - awww you are so sweet, my mom would do something like that no matter how long it took her to get back to the store she will return the product that she didnt pay for. good for u and i swear alot of people need to be like that... a good person like u and yes i speak for myself as well. Good things will come your way. keep it up =)
I remember when I was around 9 or so I thought that those little rolled up horoscope things were supposed to be free little stress relievers. They were so fun to push in and out and twist up real tight. One day my mom realized I had one and said something alone the lines of, "Oh... You took that.. Hmmm" Then she grabbed it and threw it away. Ahaha, kids! Loved the post :D