As a mom of a very active 13 month old, I want to offer my most sincere thank you for placing the large, glass sided box of stuffed animals just beyond the check out aisle. I really appreciated it when checking out with my daughter, who thought the carnival-esque flashing lights were so enthralling she screamed and pointed to the box the entire time I was checking out. For those of you unfamiliar with the Winco experience, you bag your own groceries.
The second Em saw those animals they became the point of her being in the store. I offered her a roma tomato she had wanted earlier in the trip. She took a bite and dropped it, went back to fixating on the large, flashing box of animal joy. Her cries grew so loud that I quickly became that mom in the grocery store trying to control her raging child (now with tomato on face).
Luckily for Emmeline I have experience with this type of tantrum. I placed her on my hip and talked about the foods as I tried to bag them. Momentary success and quiet until ... rip, the bag tore as I lifted it, spilling the contents out. Back in the cart she went, and she promptly again fixated on the red, flashing box of wonder.
Her yelling increased and the store got quieter. That, or she droned out everything else. I got the acute sense people wanted me to pick her up, but I couldn't, because I was frantically bagging my groceries. A young man clearly childless glared at me. The checker informed me she used to shop alone when her kids were little. Good to know,thankyouverymuch.
Luckily I had three 50 dollar bills in my wallet and quickly paid the $149.97 bill. Except the checker didn't have open pennies and, now holding Emmeline who has somewhat quieted but still staring at that red box, I painfully waited for her to s.l.o.w.l.y unwrap a container of pennies. Ugh!
I gave the young, glaring, man the snake eye, and left the store. As we approached the box Emmeline started saying, "Dis, dis, dis" and pointing, leaning her whole body toward the animals just in case I didn't understand. Yeah, I get it honey, you think the box is neat. Let's look. We stopped and talked about the animals, and she giggled with joy.
Completely happy now, we headed to the car. Several bags ripped as I put them in the car, then, tragedy struck as a box of powdered doughnuts fell out. And opened. And not just any box of doughnuts, but one of three boxes for Nolan's class birthday celebration this afternoon. And since the classes are combined, I really do need all three boxes or there won't be enough.
I stared at the white doughnuts. It's been raining, and the asphalt is shiny dark black. The powdered sugar looks a little like snow everywhere. And the doughnuts look bizarre, like they were photo shopped into the scene. I laughed out loud. One lady who was in checkout right after me walked by and stopped. "NO WAY!" "Yeah, can you believe that?" (Cue Emmie protesting from inside the car that I dare talk to someone other than her) "Well, have a good day anyway." "I will, but I really needed those for a classroom party later today." She looked at me again. "ARE YOU GOING BACK IN THERE??????"
I laughed. "No."
___
No comments:
Post a Comment