Every once in a while, it's necessary to take all three kids to the grocery store. I try very hard not to do the full grocery run (you know, about two hours and $350 later) with the kids. Today was not that, it was just a quick trip to the local Kroger for a few items (and also to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy). It should have been easy.
But it wasn't. Kroger has those two-seater carts, the ones made to look like race cars, which work nicely for the twins who still aren't very well behaved walking. Even if the straps are broken, like they were today, the little steering wheels generally keep them occupied enough to stay sitting down while I pick up the necessary items (some chips, drinks, cereal, etc.).
The problem, however, is that my usually happy to be walking big boy also loves the race car cart. He doesn't want to walk at all at Kroger, he wants to ride inside the race car cart. And not in the big basket, which is where he used to ride, but in the top part where the steering wheels are located. He is honestly much too big to be riding there, but he wants to so badly. He had a little meltdown before I even let him out of the truck, because I had already put both little guys in the top seats. There was no where for Connor to go, and he knew it. And he was beyond pitiful about it.
So, we wiped away the tears and the runny nose and calmed him down. I told him he had to walk like a big boy while Mommy was getting the groceries, but if he was a good boy while we shopped, then he could ride up there on the way out and I would let Xander walk. Still pitiful, he nodded his head and we went on our way. He, of course, ended up in the big part of the basket because he was too tired ("Mommy, I tired. Shew, Connor tired!") to walk any more. I carefully placed the groceries around him and out of the little guys' reach, and we managed.
And don't think he, for one minute, forgot about our bargain. The minute the bagged groceries were in the cart, he started whining about his turn. So I picked up Xander, who was for once in no mood to walk, and put Connor in the top with Sawyer. Sawyer didn't like the switch and immediately put his hands over his ears in protest. Xander clutched at me and held on for dear life. I carried him and pushed the other two all the way to the truck. And that was not fun at all, because those big carts are bulky and don't push very well to begin with. And if you go over uneven pavement (like, for instance, the parking lot that's in the middle of a construction zone and has gravel and patched asphalt and everything else you can imagine), it gets stuck a lot. Fun times.
So, I've officially learned my lesson. Kroger trips are to be made with two children only, because everyone wants to ride in the cart and I've yet to see a three-seater race car cart. And before you suggest it, I had been trying to run these type of errands when Connor was in school. Two is much easier than three, I thought. But our therapists have been moving some of their times around to take advantage of this fact as well. It seems it's much easier to engage with the twins when big brother (who, let's face it, is a rather talkative and attention-loving child) is not around.
With three toddlers, life is usually busy, often fun, and always a challenge.