Grocery Shopping Made Complicated

I have a couple of issues to address about my grocery store.

As far as Stores go, it's a good one. It's big. It has big aisles. It has a bakery and a deli and a fish market and a butcher shop all right there. And a pharmacy. I know just where everything is, so I can rush up and down each aisle throwing items into my cart like a contestant on some game show. Since Nick has started school, I usually go on one of those days when it will be just me and Nathan, and I don't have to worry about shouts for Cheese samples when we hit the deli counter, or screaming when we pass by the Teddy Grahams, or any of that stuff...

Issue #1 - They have instituted a new "star system." This system is supposed to help consumers, such as myself, select healthier items. Foods with less sugar, less fat, less salt, etc. have more stars. Candy bars have no stars. Neither do oreos. My problem with the star system began when I hit the cereal aisle. Now, I consider myself a mostly healthy person. I KNOW we eat a lot of take-out and pizza when my family comes to vist, but honestly, I usually cook a healthy meal with at least one green vegetable every night. I try to feed my kids fruit and crackers instead of candy and junk. I have avoided cocoa puffs and corn pops and this year I didn't even buy Count Chocula or Boo Berry cereals. I try not to buy cookies or potato chips. I try. I REALLY REALLY TRY!

But once I hit the cereal aisle I realised that I am a FOOLISH, FOOLISH WOMAN! Golden Grahams are not in the least good for you, but I had some idea that they were at least better for you than Cocoa puffs. Why? Because my mother let us eat Golden Grahams when we were kids, and not Cocoa Puffs. NOT ACCORDING TO THE STAR SYSTEM! They both have ZERO STARS! No cereal has three stars, except shredded wheat. Blech. But Frosted mini wheats has two stars, same as cheerios. Then the canned fruit... the only canned fruit that has any stars at all is pineapple. Apparently the fruit cups I have been feeding my children may as well have been... well... chocolate chips. Both have no stars.

I haven't changed my buying habits all that much based on the star system. It's made be buy more pineapple, but over all, I know we're not doing too badly. The flaws can't ALL be in my thinking. I DO think the start system could use some fine tuning.

Issue #2 - The carts at the grocery store... They used to have regular carts, and then facy carts with little ride-in cars for kids to sit in, attached to the front of the cart. It makes the cart impossible to steer, but at least the kids have fun. but now... NOW... we went in and, right next to the super fancy car carts they had... TV CARTS! The baskets are smaller. There is no way to put a little Nate in the front, he has to ride in the car space with Nick. But then, for only a dollar, THEY CAN WATCH THE WIGGLES WHILE I SHOP! Or Bob the Builder. Or Barney, but I swear that I'll never let them ride in the Barney cart.

I hate that they have these carts. They are stupid and not needed. But as soon as Nick saw the cart he started jumping up and down and giving me this look.... and I said no, because we were shopping for Thanksgiving, and where the heck would we put the Turkey? On Nate's lap? "Next time, ok?" And this kid... this two year old kid who cannot remember to use the potty, who cannot remember not to push his brother, who cannot remember how to say "Juice" and "please" in the same breath, a week later, on our way to the grocery store, Nick said "We get the WIGGLES CAR!!!!!!!!"

So I paid a dollar for the Wiggles car.

I felt awful. The store was also full of little 4 and 5 year olds who watched us wistfully as I slowly pushed past them. The mothers were shooting me hate rays with their eyes. "How could you?" they seemed to say. "We parents must stand together against TV carts in supermarkets! Now my kid thinks I'm holding out on her!" And I agreed with them. It was only a dollar, but a dollar each time can add up. Besides, do they really need more TV? No. They do not. The grocery store is one of those places where it's absolutely FINE for kids to zone out, or help select items from the shelf, or whatever. But they don't need TV.

I will say this, though... they were SO GOOD. Even Nate was excited to see the wiggles in the cart. I haven't had such a peaceful time shopping in.... I can't even say when.

But we'll only get it on special occasions.