A Morning in My Life

Morning, well, I'm not sure to call it a "morning"--I think that would mean that I would have had some sleep in the "night" before. Avery was up every hour, using me as a pacifier (she refuses to take one of the plastic ones, preferring instead to play "pacifier projectile" with them).

I had 20 minutes to shower, get dressed, get all the kids dressed and fed and take Jayden to school. That isn't as easy as it sounds though because it always involves nagging, begging, and threatening . . . and in the case of Jackson, I have to come up with some elaborate story of the dinosaurs or monsters who are coming if we don't get dressed quickly enough. Then, since this is Canada after all, there is the snow suit wiggle.

Even after dropping Jayden off, Avery is still screaming. It seems she is a bit tired from our all night party. I drive to the grocery store and just before I get there, "ding" my van goes on empty. I figure I will chance it a little longer (Brad has made it all the way up to his parents with the light on, surely I could run on empty for a day or two of in-town driving!). We get to the store, out of the van, (Avery has now fallen asleep--thank goodness!) and hike up in the freezing cold (and I mean COLD, minus 20) to the door . . . that has now FROZEN SHUT!! We walk around to the other door while the wind tosses us and blows the blanket off Avery exposing her to the weather and daylight . . . and, of course, consciousness.
Jackson refuses to sit in the cart, which I can't argue with anymore because he is just too big to be squeezing in and out of the kiddie seat anyway. So I am forced to play hide and seek with him around the grocery store . . . hoping that I will in deed find him. Preferrably BEFORE he samples some food, or runs out the exit and into the street.

As we get in the second door, Avery is screaming her head off, Jackson is wandering aimlessly infront of the cart--which I can't see because of the big car seat--and I run him over. So now he is screaming. Clearly, this will be a great shopping trip, I think to myself.

The shopping part went all right. I got everything on my list, plus a few extras thanks to Jackson and this cute Easter Egg Wreath that I found. I went to great pain to find one that was perfect, without any blemishes or broken eggs on it.

On our way out of the produce section, Jackson decided he was going to stay a while and took his coat off and left it somewhere. Nothing spices up grocery shopping without a few fun games! Next time, I will for sure bring my camera. It might take my mind off sobbing or yelling.

We got up to the check out and for some reason, the managers consistantly put their slowest cashiers on during the days!! I don't understand why they feel that mothers of little whiny, screaming children don't deserve to get checked out quickly! Ours was PAINFULLY slow. Avery was absolutely screaming at this point, Jackson was picking out chocolate bars and putting them on the conveyor belt. Usually he does this when our groceries are up there, but our cashier was so slow, the groceries belonged to the man in front of us. I am sure he was surprised to find 6 chocolate bars in his bags upon his return home.

When I stopped Jackson from doing that, he found a Lindt Truffle ball and unwrapped it while I wasn't looking. Then he smushed it in his hands. Avery was still screaming. I was helpless. Do I try to take control of my Jackson? Do I unload my groceries? Do I pick up my screaming child and try to help the other shoppers enjoy their morning? I decided that groceries were more important, and maybe the cashier might get annoyed with the screaming enough to start hurrying things up.

She did try to hurry. Even Jackson tried to help. He took the bags off the counter and tried to put them in the cart. The only thing was he refused any help and ripped the bags pulling them off the counter, and then emptied them putting them in the cart. The cashier took my prized wreath and smushed it between an overloaded cart and the top shelf of the cart (our grocery carts are somewhat double deckered).

On my way out I stopped to put Avery back in her car seat before braving the wind and cold while Jackson made himself at home on a leather armchair near the exit. When I finished buckling Avery up I looked over for Jackson . . . He had disappeared!

I finally found him running around the foyer and we made our way through the icy slush in the parking lot to our car.

Now we are home and I have the joy of unloading the groceries and putting them away . . . feeding Avery quickly and picking Jayden up again.