The Lloyds - The Kool-Aide Display

The Kool-Aid Display

Jake and I went to the grocery store. I know, I know, I said I would never take him with me again after the last fiasco. So, I lied. What's a stay-at-home mom to do?

Anyway, things were going well. Eventually, Jake got tired of sitting in the cart - even though we took Monkey with us. Yes, God forbid we leave Monkey in the truck! So, now I have a cart full of food, and Jake and Monkey "sitting" in the cart - no, they both don't fit, but you make it work.

So now Jake's walking - it sucks to sit in the cart, especially when we're nearing the best part of the store - the produce section. Jake's running around yelling gibberish - yes, YELLING. And, getting in people's way - oh, well! He runs up to the radishes, right in front of this woman's cart and yells, "Apples!" The woman cracked up. I scooped him up to get him out of the way. On we shop.

Jake helps to put produce in the bags - everything's fine. We get up to the checkout - one line's open, so we have to wait. No big deal because once a line forms, they always open another register. I turn my head...and Jake's at the Kool-Aid display with a box of Kool-Aid packets in his hands. I yell "NOOOOOOO!" Too late. The Kool-Aid packets go a-flying. All over the floor. There's about, oh, I don't know a hundred or more. So, there I am, in the walkway in front of the check out lines, squatting down on the floor, picking up a hundred packets of Kool-Aide, while Monkey sits in the cart, in line. Jake, the helpful little turd, stands there saying "ooooooh, nooooo". I ask him, "Jake, can you help Mommy pick them up?" He responds, "No". Thanks, Jake.

So, while I'm picking up, what seemed to be a million packets of Kool-Aide, some old coot decides to cut in front of me in line!!! I wasn't surprised, the old people around here are so snooty and think they are more important than everyone else. The woman behind me, who had four children with her - poor woman - said, "Did you see that? She just cut right in front of you!"

About that time, a cashier said she'd take me in the next line. Whew! Oh, wait, not yet. Jake's got to go back in the cart (with Monkey) before I can unload the groceries onto the conveyor. Otherwise, there will be MORE destruction!

I plop him in there - he screams - people stare - oh, well. (Just a side note here - why do people stare? Have they never seen a temper tantrum before? Do they not have children of their own? Is it entertaining? Or do they just like to make you feel even more embarrassed because your kids screaming? If you're one of those people - please stop it!)

I unload the groceries onto the conveyor, including the fishies cheese snacks. Jake starts screaming again - need the fishies! So after she scans them, I give them back to Jake - now, he doesn't want them. So he tosses them on the floor.

I pay, the teenager bags the groceries - almost out the door. Oh, crap. The credit card thing crashes. On goes the cashier's light. She pages a manager. Urgh! Can I get out of here, PLEASE!?!?

Problem fixed, groceries are in the cart. (breathe) The teenager asks, "Do you want help out?" Is he frigging kidding me? YES, YES, YES, YES! Can you come home with me and put them away, too?

Erik comes home from work later that day. I tell him we went grocery shopping. He says, "Is that it?"