Shopping for a Houseful and Why I Always Loose It In the Grocery Store

 

Here is a fairly recent picture of us doing out large bi-monthly Sam's shopping.  Notice that if I have the kids with me, then I have to have a flat-bed and a cart (see little boys behind me :).  Lately, it seems like grocery prices keep rising and my children's appetite's keep growing.  I try to only go food shopping twice a week.  And now this does not seem to be enough!  Ben told me recently that Tuesday is his favorite day of the week because that is the day I do my big shopping!  Actually, he and my 12 year old son are the ones who usually by Sunday and Monday are yelling, "There is nothing to eat in this house!"  Then I have to show them all the food in the pantry and threaten to send them to Africa, and then they quiet down.  I did another post awhile back about my food shopping schedule and at this point it hasn't changed much, except that I do find myself going for a short run to another grocery store or sending my husband on a little run for a few things, just to make it until Tuesday.

About loosing it in the store, I don't mean my temper or patience, but my emotions.  When my oldest son went off to college, or actually was in the last few weeks of high school, I would walk the aisles and think, "this is the last time I'll by him food for his sack lunch."  And then when he did move out and I would pass all his favorite foods or the little things I would buy for him that he really liked, I would start to cry.  Well, this week, my second son is on a mission trip to Costa Rica for a week with his senior class.  So, I'm in the grocery store today and see all his snacks and special food that he likes and I start crying!  It's so embarrassing! This has happened quite a few times to me.  Probably the melancholy, emotional music playing in the store doesn't help much, but it's so hard to not have all my children around all the time anymore.  My husband told me, "it's because feeding our children is one the most wonderful, basic duties of motherhood....providing delicious food in a warm manner."  I guess this is so and being pregnant probably makes me even more susceptible to tears and "loosing it in the store."

Stop Growing!!!