Monday, January 21, 2008

So little, so LOUD!

So, I got up my nerve and went out in the cold to the grocery store with kids, this afternoon. The kids picked the huge car cart. Things were going well and I was following my list. I have to provide a snack of fruit for thirty for Lillian's class Thursday. She really wanted grapes. Okay, easy. I didn't really note the price with the talker, the climber and the car cart. I just threw three bags in the cart. As many of you know, we use the envelope system. I am always worrying about going over and today was no different. All is ringing up well, then I notice that the grapes are ringing up six dollars per bag. What the heck? I am not spending $18 of my budgeted money on the class snack.

I asked the cashier to take off two bags. She said, "No problem." Well, it was a problem and the manager had to come over twice. If you know me, you know just asking for the items to be removed was stressful. Now, five angry customers are watching this and the kids are of course talking and it is LOUD.

L: NO mama, not the grapes. The kids love grapes.
G: (crying a little) We want the grapes.
M: We are getting grapes just not as many. We will work out the snack. I'll cut up some fruit.
L: Please don't put the grapes back!!!!
M: (I'm feeling like a total jerk to my kids and all of Shop and Save that is now watching. And because the Lord uses children to humble us Lillian said.....)
L: Mama, are we not getting the grapes because we are poor? Are we poor?

The people behind me are laughing and the cashier. I am feeling super awkward. I almost told her to just leave them on there. But seriously, $18 worth of grapes. So, I tried to explain to the kids while bagging the groceries that buying all of the grapes was not a wise use of our money and that no we are not poor whatever that means.

When we got in the car, Lillian said, "Mama, can we eat some vanilla wafers? We are starving. We were in there for a zillion years." So there were cookies all around. It felt like a zillion years to me, too.

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