So, I went grocery shopping this morning, and while I was choosing the best Gala Apples, and rummaging through the Red Potatoes, I kept having a thought. Normally I don't have the leisure of thinking while grocery shopping because I'm usually finding ways to entertain Isaac. Unfortunately, it often times means finding a cheap toy that keeps his attention, which usually gets slobbered all over, which, because I feel bad, I buy and then almost immediately throw in the garbage. Anything to buy me 5 extra minutes of shopping. Isaac is not a big fan of sitting with his legs in the holes where kids are suppose to put them through. He'll last for about 10 mintes, and then he starts to do the "grocery cart wiggle" as I like to call it. This is usually when I have to find toy #1. Plus, who on earth do they make the belts for? A doll? A baby who weighs no more than 8 pounds? Seriously, I know Isaac is a "hearty" boy, but he's not that big! Even at the biggest setting the belt hardly fits around his waist. Dumb belts. It's sometimes easier just to weigh him down with a bag of flour and water bottles. Just kidding mom. At this point, he likes to put his legs up and into the sitting area, which he then sits with his back against the side of the cart. And the whole time, he's trying to look in front of the cart. Isn't that always the case?
So, my thoughts while shopping today, alone, was "Who on earth designed a grocery cart?" Definitely not a mom because what mom would want their child/children clawing at their shirt while we have to manage to ignore the claws to spot the shredded sharp cheddar a ways away. Can't we just have the "claws" face the other way and let them "claw" at the groceries? That would entertain them more so than anything else. I know, it's probably for safety reasons, but seriously. I think I need to start a Poster Contest for "Best New Design for Grocery Cart." And although the grocery carts have gotten bigger and more elaborate (see picture below) what mom wants to drive a cart wide enough to take out the granny who is innocently trying to pass you in the aisle on the opposite side of you? And what person wants to have to pay to use a grocery cart? And what mom is going to want to have a cart that basically says "Hey! Look at me! I'm a mom and I'm trying to shop with my monkey kids." I'll tell you what mom: me in a couple of years. I'm sure I'll give in to the Barney cart as soon as Isaac figures out a way to break free for his grocery cart belt and does a back bend into the cart itself.
And someday, perhaps years down the road where my children will be grown up (but not too old) maybe I can sit in the cart and they can push me around. I'd just bring my patio chair cushions with us, plop them in the cart (see picture below) and yell out orders on what to grab while I relax in my cabana cart.
And for this reason, I dedicate this entry to my Mom, who, managed to shop with 4 monkey kids hanging onto the cart for dear life. Go back up to Picture 1, and imagine one of us girls in the cart bucket, one underneath the cart laying on their back (carts use to have more space under there, remember?) and then two girls hanging onto the sides of the cart using the base bar to stand on and cruise while Mom had to push with all of her might. What kind of a wide turn did that require??! So, my hats are off to all of you who have travelled the road less travelled and who have managed to shop with more than one kiddo in tow.
3 comments:
Funny post and yes you do give in to the Barney cart because they learn that it is there and it does keep them quiet. However you take up the whole aisle and bump into everything in site and draw that much more attention to your big MOM cart!
Shopping carts were definitely invented by men, perhaps even alien men with tentacle children. As for the straps, hah! We came out of Sam's club on one of those ice cream headache cold Michigan days and I couldn't get the stupid strap to unbuckle for Isaac. An old man saw me struggling with it and Isaac crying "I cold!". He walked over pulled out his swiss army night and sliced the belt off. So awesome! So if you see a cut belt at Sam's club, that one was mine.
Analysse is a tiny little girl, so I don't have the belt problems. I usually have to tighten the belts. But she does make grocery shopping difficult because she had long arms and twists and reaches back into the cart and pulls out the closest item and starts putting it in her mouth. She hasn't quite started throwing stuff out of the cart (too often anyways), but she does try and put anything and all she can reach on her lap (eggs and meat stay the furthest away). I can't even imagine shopping with more than one kid.
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