Grocery Shopping Victory

As I lifted Dash up to view the green onions and pick out his favorite bunch, I thought . . .

"Wow.  This is fun."

My two little helpers were all over the fruits and vegetables.  They took turns picking them out and putting them in the little plastic bags.

Speaking of . . . I have a terrible time opening those produce bags.  It is impossible for me.  I could stand there all day rubbing that thin plastic, willing it to split open . . .  and still nothing would happen.  The only way to open them is to find something with water on it -- like a bag of carrots or something -- wet my fingers and voila!  It opens.  Produce bags and incredibly dry skin are a hopeless combination.

Anyway, Blazer can open them like a champ.  He was extremely helpful today.

All of them were helpful.

Even during those little wrestle breaks in the middle of the aisle . . . I had fun grocery shopping with my three little ones.

Finley valiantly sat in the shopping cart seat -- gazing at the world -- reaching for a miniature red colander and some enticing bottles of sesame oil.

Blazer and Dash ran around and got interested once we hit the vegetables.

They also helped pile everything on the conveyor belt when it was time to check out.

I feel like I've reached another milestone:

An enjoyable shopping trip with all of my children in tow.

And with three -- that's quite a feat.

For a long time, Ryan would do a majority of the grocery shopping.  Then his schedule got all crazy and there was no time to squeeze it in.  Sometimes he'd go after work (at midnight) and a few times I went when he was napping before the graveyard shift and the kids were in bed (at 10:30 pm).   Needless to say, those aren't optimum times for enjoyable grocery shopping.

Lately I've been shopping on Tuesdays, which are Grammie Days.  So I can wander the aisles all by myself.

But today, I needed to go (for our Mother's Day lunch tomorrow) and I wanted to let Ryan sleep . . . so I piled all three of my children in the car (I mean van.  I still call it a car.)  And off we went.

And it was fun.


Today I found myself at the top of a bump, looking forward.  It's like another stage of life.  A new ability that I had to cultivate and hone.  A victory.

Yes, why not?  A Victory!

I now realize I should have taken a picture.  You know . . . to commemorate the moment.

The snapshot in my mind will have to do.

And many more grocery shopping trips in the future . . . victorious ones and not.