Saturday, April 26, 2008

Jekyll and Hyde

I suppose I should have known better. It was 5:00pm the kids were hungry and tired, but I had to go to Kroger. It was one of those days when I did not even think about dinner until 5:00. I looked around and realised I had nothing for dinner. So I decided to go to the store, as did the rest of Botetourt county. I know that is the absolute worst time to go to the grocery store, but there was no getting around it.

I believe that when they build grocery stores (and pretty much any retail establishment) they spray the foundation and the walls with child-good-behavior repellent. There is just something about shopping that turns normal fairly well behaved children into raving lunatics. I think the grocery store is the worst. When you start, they beg for the kind of basket that they can both sit in. But I know better than to let them sit that close together; there will inevitably be crying and fighting. I can't let the little one sit in the little part and the other in the big part, because it leaves no room for groceries. I usually end up letting Calvin "walk" making Corban sit in the little seat, but then Corban thinks there is a great injustice because he does not get to "walk". So, I have unhappy baby #1 in the seat crying and unhappy child #2, screaming like a banshee up and down the aisles. Of course Calvin "asks" for every single item he sees, even though I know he doesn't want them or even like them, without a remote possibility that he would consume them once brought home: "Pleeeeaaaase can we get Brussels sprouts, that's my favorite" or, "I promise I will eat those sardines, I promise pleeeeeease can we buy that."

I usually end up forgetting half of what is on my list, even though I am looking right at the paper, and come home with something I had no intention of buying like those "chocolate frosted sugar bombs." There has to be an easier way. Right???

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

Remember our last Sunday school lesson about spanking? I looked over a Freddy and said, "My kids have each had exactly ONE temper tantrum". Now when they see a kid at WalMart going nuts, they say, "Man, that kid needs a spanking!" I still get the "greedy gimmes" from time to time, however, especially from Matt. Instead of a fit, I get the tears if he doesn't get what he wants. We're working on having him examine his heart which is displaying discontentment and disobedience when he always wants more stuff. It's hard, and I may need to bring out the "rod" again, but I'm trying so hard not to react and disipline out of anger. Also, now that Matt & Emma are getting a small allowance, when they ask for something, I say, "Well, you have a little bit of money. Buy it yourself if you want it that badly." It's amazing how quickly they decide they can live without it! Hang in there!

-Jen

Chris said...

I completely understand. When I see sardines at Wal-Mart I have the same reaction!

Chris