Worst Shopping Trip Ever

I'm trying not to stew about this, although writing about it seems like a healthy outlet.  If you do not want to hear me venting you may as well not even bother reading this post as it will probably be a long one. 

First you should know a few things:

1)  When I go grocery shopping I take the kids with me.  I have no choice.  For this reason I shop at Wal-Mart, which I am really starting to hate.  I endure this madness for 2 reasons:  1)They have the cheapest diapers and 2)They have the big fancy buggies with the 2 bucket seats and the regular one for Riley.  This makes it very convenient for me to have all 3 kids confined to one spot.

2)  The fancy buggy comes with rules.  Rule #1 They (Ella and Aiden) do not have to be buckled in.  They have to ride as long as I am moving, but once I am in the isle they are free to roam.   Rule #2  If they require a time out they will get buckled in as punishment.  YES I do discipline my kids in public.  The rules are very simple, and Aiden is the only one who has ever required a time out.

3)  If there is anything else I hate more than "You've got your hands full."  It's people thinking that it's OK to discipline my kids for me.

And on with the Worst Shopping Trip Ever...

What started off as a very normal Wal-Mart trip ended up in a not-so-normal check out experience.  Since I let the kids help with throwing stuff in the buggy they managed to throw in a couple of extra stuff that I was not willing to pay for.  After calling the manager to void things off (which admittedly was my fault for not paying attention) they lady behind me was obviously getting flustered.  I know what she was thinking.  "I picked the wrong line."  Yes she did.  As 15 minutes pass the kids are getting more and more restless.  We had already been shopping for an hour anyway and enough is enough.  Riley starts to get fussy and Aiden starts to get crazy.  By crazy I mean by climbing into the ice box.  A passerby customer feels the need to tell him he doesn't need to be playing in there...yes, I know that.  I'm sorry he escaped me while I was tending to my crying baby.  This freeze out of his resulted in him being buckled in time out.  This did not bode well with him and he started screaming.  Ella put her hands over her ears.  The impatient woman behind me decides to talk to her sister in Spanish.  Little does she know my husband, who is fluent in Spanish, has taught me a thing or two.  Rude comments, no matter what language, are none the less NOT necessary.  Meanwhile we are still waiting on a manager.  Another passerby customer decides that she will come and talk to Aiden about Santa, he is still crying.  She thinks she is helping, but it only makes things worse.  He cries even more.  And I am starting to fume.  Lady, he's in time out.  Deal with it and keep on walkin'.  Now I can finally put my groceries in the buggy.  I typically give Riley the milk so she can shake the bag.  It makes her happy.  The cashier BEHIND me in the other isle tells me she doesn't need to be playing with that...she could suffocate.  'She's fine.'  I told her.  She's just shaking on the handle, she's not gonna die.  Geez...can I have the bad parent award please?  If I thought she was in danger, I would not have given it to her.  Not to mention, I'm right here.  I am getting ready to pay now and the woman behind me exclaims "So does this mean I get free groceries?  I've been standing here for an hour!"  So sorry to inconvenience you.  All she's been doing is standing, I'm the one dealing with kids here.  I wanted to turn to her and say 'Ma'm, you could have left at any time and gone to a different isle.'  There was no one behind her the entire time!  I did not respond to her snide comment.  I probably would have except it was obvious that her sister is going through cancer.  I did not feel it necessary to be rude to someone who was going through a rough time.  If only she had shown the same courtesy to me.  Why is it that you tend to be nicer to people less fortunate than yourself?  Shouldn't we just hold our tongue EVERY time?  I mean how did that lady behind me help the situation?  Not at all.  As I was leaving the woman who had checked me out said "I bet you haven't had a worse shopping experience have you?"  I wanted to tell her that it wasn't the worst, but I just smiled instead.  Putting the kids in the car also spouted a crying fit.  Riley started crying and Aiden too.  He was mad because I picked him up and put him in.  He wanted to do it himself.  An OLD woman  (at least 70...sorry but that's old to me) poked her head in the van and asked if she could help me by loading my groceries for me.  'I'm OK'  I told her.  As good as her intentions were my thoughts went to "I'm not the victim here, stop trying to help out!  The kids are having a fit...big deal.  I don't care if they cry, but apparently I am ruining the lives of many."  People of ChapinWal-Mart guy.  Relief.  He's just doing his job.  That kind of help is welcome.  'Thanks'  I told him.  Whether he was doing it because of the crying that was booming from my van or if he was collecting anyway I don't care.  He didn't address my kids and I was glad.  I don't need anyone else pointing out to me that my kids are crying.  It annoys me because I'm not out of control.  Aiden was in time out.  Riley was tired.  Period.  This was not about having melt downs for no reason.  I am not a bad parent so people please leave me alone.  I know what I'm doing. 

I'm done now.  This was helpful.  Now I don't feel so mad.  Too bad I'll have to go shopping again in a week.  YAY...