Shopping Fun

My husband has been building a shed out in the backyard. He's been getting some help from friends.  Who bring their children with them. While the friend helps my husband.  Can you guess who takes care of the extra children?  Yep.

Which, really, is fine. But with the end of school approaching, I have quite a "to do list" going.

Monday, I had 3 extra kids, did some school, made some meals, cleaned some house.  By the end of the day, we had no food for dinner.  We decided to go get some u-bake pizza.  The girl behind the counter used to be our next door neighbor!  7 years ago!  She is now 18 and graduating from high school. I felt really, really....old.

We ate the pizza. Realized that we still had no food left in the house.  It was voted (if you can call my husband refusing to go "voting") that I should go grocery shopping.  It was also forced decided I should take at least one child with me.

I had three children down on their knees BEGGING to go.
"Pickmepickmepickme!!!"
I told my husband "You are going to have to choose" while giving him the eye that said DO.NOT.PICK.THAT.ONE. (I won't say which one but I would love to hear your guesses!)

He chose Jeven, as Jarrett had already gone on an errand earlier (makes guessing which one I didn't want to take pretty easy, doesn't it?) .
Jarrett handled the choice well.
Josie cried. And cried. And cried.
Jayce's friend, "Tim" was over and asked "Where doesn't Josie get to go?" and Judd said "Winco.  You'd think it was Disneyland or something wouldn't you?" to which Tim responded "Jayce, your sister is weird." 

Off to the store we go, my 4 year old and I.

By the time we got to the store, it was 8:45.  After loading our cart, putting the groceries on the belt, bagging the groceries, it was time to pay.  But, the people behind me were physically in the way to the register.  The wife was bagging, the husband was waiting to pay.  So, I stood back and waited as patiently as I could.  Trying to keep Jeven from eating the bag of chips that were in the cart.
The couple's total came to just over $100. The man swipes the debit card.  Which was refused.  He tells the wife to quit bagging.  They both dig through her purse and his wallet and come up with some cash, bringing the new total to just over $40.  He tries the debit card again, with no luck.  Now, they are standing there embarrassed and flustered.  I am standing back, trying to ignore what was going on.  My heart really, really felt bad for them.
I've been there, trying to buy food and having a debit card refused and having to void out the whole thing and walk out of the store empty handed.
I briefly considered paying the $40 for them but frankly, that  literally would have been taking food away from MY children.  Had it been a family, trying to buy the essentials, (bread, milk, eggs, etc.) I would've done it.  But, it was a middle aged couple buying Poptarts and beer.  Not essential.
Finally, the cashier calls a manager over to void out the whole transaction and I can pay for my own groceries.  As I walked away, the couple was picking through their groceries and determining what they could afford.  It was sad.

Next stop, Walmart.  An horrible affordable place to get the things I couldn't get at Winco.  I had literally 3 things to grab.  It took me over an hour.
Jeven voted to not ride in the cart and promised he would be good if only I'd let him walk with me.  I voiced that that sounded good but I grabbed a cart anyway, "Only put the food in there, Mom. Not me. Right?OK?".

I pick out one item.  Jeven says he has to go to the bathroom. Of course he does.  It is now 10:15.
We walk to the back of the store, where the restrooms are located.  Half way there, Jeven decides he needs to walk backwards.  Of course he does.

We use the restroom.  Upon leaving the restroom, Jeven automatically jumps into the cart.  As I start pushing it down the aisle he yells "HEY!!  Why am I in the cart!! I'm suppose to walk!!".  I just look down at him and laugh.  "You got in there all by yourself!".   He declares that he will get back out and I tell him that he can do that when I stop the cart.

As I stop to get the waffles, he starts to get out.  I  push the cart back and forth with one hand and say "Ah,ha!  The cart is stilllll mooooving!".  He doesn't think I'm funny.

Off to the check out counter we go, with our 3 items.

Now.  Do you think Walmart had an express lane open?  Nope.
Or , do you think they had any lane open with less than 5 people waiting?  Nope.
I choose what seems to be the shortest line.  One huge family in front of me, trying to buy a DVD player.  For some reason, the cashier couldn't get the security thingy to scan, or something.  She kept rubbing it over the little scanner thing and it kept beeping. F.I.N.A.L.L.Y she gets it to work.
The family pays and walks off.  But, the teenage daughter of the family decided she wanted an iTunes card.  The cashier scans it, takes the girls money.  But, for some reason decided to check to see if it indeed activated.  It did not.
The girl walks 3 checkstands over grabs another card.  Redoes the transaction.  Same problem.  Goes back over and grabs another card.  This repeats F.O.U.R times.  Finally, I say, quite patiently, which frankly is a small miracle, "Why don't you grab a whole stack this time?".  And she does!!!
After about 15 cards, one F.I.N.A.L.L.Y works.

It takes approx. 1 min for my stuff to get rung up and bagged and we're on our way. Home. Home!!!
My quick trip to the store turned into quite the ordeal.  Jeven didn't stop talking for one second. And not the kind of talking where I could zone and say "Uh-huh" or "Yep" but where he expected a response and in some cases, told me what exactly to say.

I was exhausted.

Out to the van we go.  I put the groceries in. I put the kid in his car seat, buckle the car seat.  Shut the sliding door.  Open the driver door.

It won't open.  There, on the driver's seat are my car keys.  I locked myself out of the van. With my child buckled (safety first!!) in his car seat.  At 11:00 at night.  In the Walmart parking lot.

Of course I did.


**Edited to clarify:
We've never encouraged our children to unbuckle their own car seats.  I know, there's pros and cons to this.  But, our thinking was we were avoiding them unbuckling while we are driving down the road.  Eventually, all of them learned how to do it. By the time they learned, they were old enough to understand when it was okay and when it wasn't. 
All of them learned.  Except one.  Any guesses as to which one? 
Yep. Jeven still cannot unbuckle his own car seat.  Despite me desperately begging through the glass to "Please, try Jeven. Push really hard on the red button!!"  to no avail .

I normally carry my cell phone in my purse, which was in the van.  This one in a million time however, I carried it in my PANTS POCKET!!!   So, I was able to call hubby and he came to the rescue!

It could have been so much worse. It could have been middle of the day while it was 100 degrees outside. Or, my phone could have been in my purse. Then, I would have had to flag down the Walmart cop.

Although, that may have made a better blog entry.