The Grocery Store

I vividly remember being in college, having a small, fixed income, and going grocery shopping all by myself with my money.  I loved it.  I loved the freedom of bypassing the fruit stands and going straight for the Kraft macaroni and cheese, the popcorn, the Cup O' Noodles, the Tostitos and salsa (I have a love affair with salt if you cannot tell.), and the cereal.  The diet of a college student.

It was fun and empowering.  I felt so independent.

Now, grocery shopping is a little different.  I think almost every mom can identify with my dread of grocery shopping with a preschooler and toddler in tow.  We've all been "that mom"--the one with the crying kid, the runaway kid, the kid who's grabbing food items off the shelves (usually on the candy aisle).  

"Going to the grocery store" has become iconic in our household.  When my 4-year-old wants asks from the backseat, "Where are we going," my husband often replies, "the grocery store."  This catalyzes crying and whining from said 4-year-old whose least favorite place in the world is the grocery store.  He'd rather go to the dentist...seriously.

The weekly grocery trip is now a dreaded activity, instead of an anticipated one.

Then, a few nights ago I was rocking my 2-year-old before bedtime.  We cuddled in the glider with a stuffed penguin, a blanket, and a couple Mo Willems books.  We turned on the soft music.  She said her version of, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep."  Often, she asks me to talk to God after she recites her prayer.  But this night, she said, "I talk to God.  God, thank you I got to go to the grocery store with Mommy today. Amen."

So...

Here's to re-thinking the weekly grocery trip, to seeing it through my daughter's eyes, and to making it an anticipated activity once again.