Risky Business

Yesterday the kids and I ventured out to Kroger. I don't know why I try anymore. I should know by now that trying to buy a cart load of groceries + focusing on sales, coupons, and mega event totals + 4 bored children = disaster.

I can't complain. I have very well-behaved, polite, obedient children 98% of the time. It's just that you never know when that other 2% will happen. So going out in public is a bit risky. And yesterday met their monthly - dare I say even yearly - quota for that 2%. I didn't even see it coming.

I had everything organized. Coupons in place, detailed list made. So I thought it would be a quick in-and-out of the store. I didn't factor into the equation that school had just gotten out and every mom in the county would be in Kroger with their own children picking up something for dinner that night. (or maybe I'm the only one that has to make an emergency run to the store for dinner ingredients????) I also didn't factor into the equation that a few of the things on my list to make the Kroger Mega Event even doable would be gone causing me to have to actually think and add/subtract on the go. Which is normally quite easy for me but between "Stop karate chopping the UGA signs!" and "Where'd Ellie go?" I was not at my finest math moment.

About halfway through our journey I realized that I needed to regain some control. We were getting evil eyes from people just trying to maneuver through the maze of children running down the aisle. Ellie was playing "how far can I run away from mom before she completely loses it?" and Jacob was on a mission to rid the store of every UGA logo he could find. Lucas had Noah in a headlock while Noah danced around trying to get himself free.  I turned around and screamed gently beckoned them to come to me. I laid down the law and they all nodded their heads like the sweet little angels they are.

Then I turned my back on them. And it was chaos once again.

By the time we got to the check out I was D-O-N-E. I sent them out of the register aisle to wait for me. There happened to be 3 carts of Halloween clearance that I didn't see as well as a pallet of dog food stacked high. It was about the time the bag boy started questioning how I could shop with "all those kids" that I heard a cashier call out "Honey, please get down off of there before you fall."

I didn't want to look, but knew I must. Lucas and Ellie were standing on top of the dog food stacked high. Jacob and Noah were fighting with "lightsabers" (which were really ax-like weapons from the halloween clearance).

I finished paying and got out of there as fast as we could.

I'm not sure but I think I heard loud cheers go up as we walked out the door.

Yes. There were consequences when we got home. It involved rakes, a big yard full of pinestraw and leaves, and a very quiet evening for me after children went to bed very early.

I've learned my lesson. I can definitely say that I will not be taking all my kids into a store again. Until next time at least.