Under my umbrella

Guess what...we are being pounded by rain and wind! I think we are supposed to get rain all week. Again, I am not complaining. I'm just reporting. And, this is important to my story today.

Last night, I made the most pathetic dinner of store bought, gluten-free ravioli and a homemade "tomato sauce" (no onion, no basil, etc. Aunt Mary Lou, I hope that you are not reading this!). It was actually pretty good. Or maybe we were just starving! It's time to go to the store when you don't have an onion in the house!

We were seriously low on everything. Despite the crazy rain and wind, I had no choice but to take everyone to the grocery store this morning. I had two sick babies and one long grocery list. I know that we entertained a few onlookers. First of all, any of you with multiple children know that it takes some planning to get from Point A to Point B.  My plan at the grocery store is to park the car as close to the store as possible, get a cart, wheel the cart to the passenger side door, take Bode out of his carseat and secure him into the grocery cart. Then I wheel and park Bode/grocery cart by the driver's side door while I remove my jacket, strap on the Baby Bjorn, unhook Gianna's carseat from the base, set the carseat on the floor of the car and then remove Gianna from the carseat. Then I put Gianna into the Baby Bjorn, put my jacket on over the Bjorn, do one last check that I have my keys with me, lock the car, and then I walk/wheel into the store.  Today, my plan was compromised by rain. One, I couldn't put Bode into a wet grocery cart that had been abandoned in the parking lot. Two, I couldn't leave Bode sitting in the rain while I did the car seat/Bjorn shuffle with Gianna. So I had to leave Bode in his carseat while I knelt in the back of the car and did the carseat/Bjorn shuffle with Gianna. Once I secured Gianna, I had Bode hop  down from the carseat and we walked, hand in hand  through the rain to the inside of the store for a dry grocery cart.  Here's where it got fun!  I somehow had to pick Bode up (without smooshing Gianna, who was strapped to me in the Bjorn) and heave him into a grocery cart.  This was diffcult because Bode was not sure how to sit in the cart (as I usually move his legs into the seat for him), and my "hurry-up" atttitude got him more confused about how to stand/sit in the cart. At one point, I felt like I was doing a backbend while trying to "lunge" Bode's uncooperative legs into the seat of the cart.  Finally, I got Bode sitting in the cart. I know that I look harried with my curly frizzy wind-blown hair, a baby strapped to me while trying to coach an unweildy toddler how to squat down into the cart. 

Here's the part where I brag about my babies. So if you're not into it, just move along.  These babies of mine are so good.  They are not feeling 100 percent. They both have runny noses that I am continually wiping as gently as I can (but they still dodge and cry when I approach their little noses with a tissue).  They are bundled up with hats, jackets and rain coats against the elements. They are confined to a grocery cart and the Baby Bjorn for over an hour while I shop, check my list, backtrack for another item, repeat. They do not complain. They do not cry. They do not squirm. They do not pull things off the shelves. They are SO GOOD.  Maybe I am wrong...maybe this is not unusual "behavior" for a toddler and a baby. Maybe the bad "behavior" comes when they are older, like 4 and 5 years old.  But I am proud of my babies. And, I am so thankful that they were so good today. (And, I'm making a mental note to remember this particular grocery trip the next time they happen to act out in public.)

When we were checking out (warning: more bragging), these two ladies (the checker and the bagger) could not stop oohing and ahhing over Gianna. "She's so beautiful," they said, and both gave delighted gasps when Gianna smiled at them. And then the same with Bode.  Who doesn't love (love love love) to hear how beautiful their children are? I DO! And then I write about it! (Bob, I hope that you're not reading this.) These ladies were really sweet and made the end of my marathon shopping trip sweeter.

But then, it gets better:

You know how at the end of the check-out process, the checker always asks, "Do you want help out?"  I am always Ms. Self-Sufficient and say, "No, thank you."  Today, with the rain and my Gianna/Bode shuffle in mind, I said, "Yes, please." So the bagger wheeled Bode and our groceries out to the car. This was a nice little perk after our grocery cart fiasco, and  I would have happily driven the bagger home with me to unload the groceries if I could have gotten away with it!  Before we exited the store, she produced an umbrella from the doorway, and proceeded to walk out, making sure that Bode was under the umbrella.  We got to the car and  I started to put Gianna into her car seat, so that I could work on Bode next. I looked back to check on Bode, to make sure he wasn't upset about being "alone" with the bagger. The bagger was just standing there, holding the umbrella over Bode. She asked, "Will you get him next please, so that he's out of the rain?"  She wasn't in a hurry to unload the groceries so that she could get inside. She was keeping my preshus  sheltered under her umbrella.  And then, an older man wearing a windbreaker walked up and asked the bagger, "Can I hold your umbrella for you?"  So a man stood in the rain holding an umbrella over my son's head and a lady got soaked as she put the groceries in my car. I thanked them both and wished them a nice day. They certainly made my day. ;)



After our shopping trip. Bode is ejoying watered-down apple juice (per the nurse's advice to me yesterday).







It was pouring down rain when I took these photos but it looks bright outside.