Grocery Bill

Now that summer is here, I am faced with something I haven't had to deal with in some time: grocery shopping with all three boys.

Yesterday, when I piled all three kids into the car, one of them was already sobbing. Why? He hates the Market Basket, where we were headed. He much prefers Hannaford. Usually, to be honest, so do I. But Market Basket is much less expensive, so I alternate. Also, Market Basket just opened a huge brand new store, so now it has much, much more stuff. Nick hadn't even been there. But he was sobbing, nevertheless.

I told the boys flip flips were a bad idea. Particularly Nick, who was wearing flip flops two sizes too small for his feet.

Nathan likes to "push" the cart, which means he is standing exactly where you would normally stand if you were pushing the cart. Only he isn't steering the cart, just pushing it. When he isn't doing this, he's holding on to the cart and dragging his feet on the ground, or actively pulling it in the opposite direction, until you realize what he is doing and yell at him to stop.

Nick immediately found something he wanted to buy with his own money (Jacks) and this made Nate and Andy cry because they wanted something too, so I had to listen to them negotiate / fight all the way through the store.

If there is anything bad for you or full of so much sugar it should cause instant death, it's at three-year-old reach.

Andy thinks the new Market Basket is cool, and likes to spin in the wide aisles.

Just as we got to the deli line, with only 40 people standing and waiting, Nick announced that he had to pee. Nathan ran over his own foot with the cart, and I announced that we were going home. Then I told the boys we had to make the food we bought last all summer, because no way was I doing this again.

Seriously, one at a time, my kids are great. I can manage that. But all three at once cause instant insanity. When I got home I ate three pounds of chocolate, a block of goat cheese, and drank two bottles of cider.