As a mom I am absolutely enthralled with almost living a second childhood. Many of you know, as a kid you can't wait to grow up. As an adult sometimes one may wish they savored the moment just a little more. As a parent, I most certainly love my child enjoying experiences I never had, enjoyed myself or thought about but never tempted.
I try to take Bradley with me almost everywhere. Shopping at the mall is ok, because normally we meet up with my best friend and her two kids. Bradley loves the beach and two days ago was actually trying to "jump" over the waves, according to his daddy. I wish I was there to see it, but I was enjoying a much needed break. The baby loves icecream and every once in awhile we take him out for one. If the weather is nice on a Thursday we head to the farmer's market for some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Yesterday, we went grocery shopping together. I have been taking him with me on this adventure more times then not lately. For anyone who is aware of the early toddler years, this can be quite challenging. Not only are you trying to get the things on your list but entertain a young boy (in my case at least). I find I talk to him a lot while shopping and make funny noises when pulling things off the shelf. Now when I go alone to the grocery I make the same swoosh noises or clunk noises I do when I'm with the baby. Once I notice I do this habitual act, I quickly turn to see if anyone saw or heard. Unfortunately sometimes my actions don't go unnoticed.
The grocery store adventure yesterday brought about new surprises and risk taking. As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed an available race car shopping cart. I quickly snatched it up and even though it took me about five minutes to buckle the baby in, the buckles obviously weren't working right, I was bound and determined to make this work. Right away Bradley loved it. He started turning the wheels even before he was buckled. As I was pushing my wide load through the store, this proved to be more difficult then I could imagine. The cart felt heavy and there are no quick easy turns, but very wide. If I came to a stop because I needed to grab something off the shelf, Bradley would turn the steering wheel fast and hard, indicating he was ready to go. The race car made the trip fun for all of us but of course by the end Bradley had enough of it. I did get some sympathy from a mother who loved the cart but said she struggled moving it and eventually decided it wasn't worth it for her kids.
With Bradley wherever we end up, he ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. Yesterday my little comedian tried driving with his feet. And yes he had no socks on because he takes them off and tries to eat them. He most definitely makes the best facial reactions which makes Chris and I laugh. He really is the best kid in my book. All in all Bradley enjoyed his car ride and I think it's another go for the next time.
All I can say is try grocery shopping with TWO toddlers! I count Adam as a toddler now. (We no longer use the carrier.) Wegman's has these carts with a Little Tikes Coupe attached to the front end. Try pushing that around! Owen loves it, but sometimes tries to get out, which is NOT fun. Last time we used one I ran over some woman's heels because I can't see the end of the cart. Luckily she was kind! Adam doesn't like sitting in the front of the cart. Finally last time we went grocery shopping we tried the cart with the two bucket seats that are attached right where I hold on and push. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about. That seemed to work well for both of them.
ReplyDeleteSome ideas to help the grocery trip. Bring FOOD! Lots of food. Not just healthy food, but treats. I used to do that. But then Owen realized that the food in the store is far more appealing, so he gets to pick out two snacks for the week. We open them and he eats while we shop. It really does help. Normally he ends up with fruit snacks or skittles and some type of chips. It used to be crackers until they were banned because of allergies. Of course make sure the boy is hungry when you leave so this works. Adam enjoys his rice rusks and Trix too. Just a couple thoughts.