Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Our Valentine's Day snowstorm has closed the schools, much to NIcholas's dismay. He was a bit upset when we told him he wouldn't be going to school today. "The School is Closed!" I said. "Well, Open It!" He replied.

In my overly scheduled life, Wednesday is the day I go grocery shopping, and very few things ever lead me to change this. We have spent entire Tuesdays with no food or milk, and I simply shake my head and order out because it is not Wednesday, and I have no time for shopping today.

But yesterday I felt that, since today was Valentine's Day, not having certain items, such as food, would be remiss. So I actually altered my schedule, showing my great ability to be flexible, and went shopping a day early, with both boys in tow. Usually my shopping trips are carried out with the predictability and timing of a ballet... perhaps a ballet danced by a hippo, but a ballet nonetheless... but this day...

As it so happened, NIcholas had asked to wear Big Boy Underpants that day. He sometimes does this, and in my excitement to have him potty trained I encourage it, remembering stories like the girl Larissa knows who was trained in one day. ONE DAY! There are books written about this. It actually has happened! Perhaps this is the day for Nick! Usually he wears the underpants for a few hours and either has an accident or simply asks to be put back in pull-ups or diapers and cried and screams if you don't listen.

Since we were going out, I asked Nick if he wanted pull-ups. He said no. I said we're going out, and it might be hard... he said no. I said fine, but we're going to visit the potty at the grocery store. He said fine, no pull-ups, underwear.

Needless to say, I was aprehensive, but still excited. He WANTED the underwear. Besides, he has actually gone entire mornings with no accidents, and some of these included morning trips to the library. MAYBE THIS WAS IT!!!!!

The first thing we did at the grocery store was to visit the rest room. I sat Nick on the potty, which he did not end up using, while Nathan played peek-a-boo with the woman in the next stall, reluctant participant that she was. We then headed off with my list of groceries. It seemed like forever, but it actually took less than an hour. Every so often I would lean over and ask him if he wanted to use the potty, but her said no. My shopping finished, I asked him if he wanted to visit the potty before or after we paid. He said after. Since the bathrooms were actually on the way out, I said fine. So we paid, and then I pushed the cart around.

The cart we were using was one of the carts with the cars in the front. Both Nick and Nate sit in the car and pretend to drive and hit and bite each other and throw their sip cups out the windows while I do the shopping. As soon as Nick got out of the car I realized he had peed. His pants were soaked. Lucky for me, I had thought to bring an extra pair of pants for him. I mean, he is still learning, so I knew this might happen... But then, when Nathan got out of the car, I realized HE WAS SOAKING, TOO! Nick had peed on the seat, and it had spread over to where his brother was sitting, wetting HIS pants.

I had no change of clothes for Nathan. Well, I did, but they were in the car. My car. The real car.

When we parked the car, the real car, the temperature outside was 9. That's NINE degrees. Nine. You can't take a baby outside in wet pants at nine degrees!

But I did. Because, when it came right down to it, we needed to leave the store. I changed Nate in a warmed up car before we went home. I feel that I deserve a medal for the way the emergency was delt with. But as far as I know, no such medal exists.

I could go one and tell you about how, when we did get home, I dropped the eggs on the garage floor, and Nathan ran away with the ackage of mushrooms, trying desperately to rip open the package before I caught him. And how he found the bread and SQUEEZED it, and all this while Nick was pleading, very loudly, for Strawberry Milk. But I'll stop here and let you all enjoy your Valentine's Day.