Monday is my grocery shopping day. I debated about whether or not to go, since it was a holiday for the kids. I was feeling a bit guilty that I didn't do anything special with them. It is sort of what happens during Spring Break. I hear about the trips to Hawaii, Arizona, the Cayman Islands, New York, Paris...all of the places their classmates go for Spring Break. We almost always stay home. When they were little, we'd go out to lunch, take a trip to a museum, see a movie, or drive up for a picnic in the mountains. But now, maybe I just get tired.
So, even though it was a day-off-from-school, I went grocery shopping. I found I was walking a bit slower than usual. (I think it was because I didn't bother to make a grocery list.) Not only that, I hadn't even thought about the meals we'd have this week. I was browsing.
By the time I reached the produce section, my cart looked rather barren instead of its usual brimful self. Fruit and vegetables are healthier anyway, I mused. I pushed my sparse-filled cart to the apples. I decided on 3 different varieties, but a lady and her plentiful cart blocked my way. I pushed mine off to the side, so as not to block anyone else, then wiggled my way to the apples. I carefully selected some lovely, crisp Pink Ladies, a few not-as firm Galas, and 1 very green, most-likely tart Granny Smith. I turned to place them in my cart. But it wasn't there. I turned 3 or 4 times. I knew I'd pushed it a bit to the side, but hadn't it been right here?
I heard familiar giggling as I was looking around but it took a minute to figure it out. There across a few rows was my cart. It had been kidnapped by Elisabeth, Sarabeth, and Hilary. They were no longer just giggling but laughing hysterically.
"You turned around 4 times looking for your cart, Mom! What did you think happened?"
Oh! My kids can be so funny. I didn't feel so guilty for not doing anything special with them. They seem to have managed to amuse themselves just fine without me. We finished shopping together and they loaded my groceries in the car for me. I can't imagine life with just 1 or 2 kids. Think of all the fun I'd miss out on. If anything, I should have had a half a dozen more.
3 comments:
Life with 1 is interesting... Especially if that one is Emily Rose! *LOL*
By keeping your kids in the real world, instead of whisking them away to some exotic place just because they are on a bread, allows them to find pleasure right where they are.
I think taking the trips and traveling are wonderful and hope to do plenty of it myself, but not simply because someone called a break from school, a job or whatever. It is in creating a time frame, just for the sake of learning, exploring and broadening your horizon that brings another level of reality to the travel.
So often people believe they "deserve" something out of the ordinary when in reality the ordinary is full of extraordinary if you take the time to look and live it!
You are building great memories and that is priceless.
Too funny! I spent the day cooking and I, too, felt a twinge for not doing something "special". But food is special, right?
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