Love Costs Still Paying

I'm going to add on to yesterday's post just because I can.

I took 5 kids to the grocery store today, and that costs.

Now let me start with the beginning of the story. First we went to Head Start, all 6 of us. We sat for an hour in a tiny little office answering questions and filling in forms. 2 of my kids are able to be in some of their programs and I've been happy with them, so we needed to set it up for next year.

After that, we drove across town to the branch of the grocery that I like. There is basically only one grocery chain in our town. Near my house there are about 4-6 I can choose from. I have one that I like especially and I usually drive to it, call my crazy.

So we start out needing to change a diaper before we even get in the store. No big deal. We get in and locate the magical car cart. You know the one, tiny little grocery space, big Little Tykes type car on the front, zero steering, filthy and with no working seat belts. Yeah, we went for it. We started out with Little One and Little Miss in the car, Baby Z in the seat and the Little Mr.'s on foot. Part way through we had to make an adjustment in seating arrangements and had 4 out of 5 actually in the cart plus the groceries. I ought to get a prize.

Anyway.

Here's the cost part of the story. The 5 kids behaved so well today, I almost thought I was shopping with someone elses kids. Certainly not mine. I counted to check, 2 white, 1 black, 1 Hispanic, and 1 Asian, yup, all mine. There was very little whining, no arguing, no running, no hitting. One baby cried once and Little Miss shrieked once. For us, spectacular. Really.

Before we even got in the store I was paying the price. There was an older man pushing a cart and some of my kids cut in front of him as he was walking, he turned and gave me the look. I waited for the comment as I began my routine of, "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, excuse us, we didn't mean to get in the way." Only to be cut off with, "Wow, a brood." Insert elderly sarcasm here.

Love Costs.

Later as we came around the dairy aisle to enter frozen foods, a woman and her single tweener son, stopped dead in their tracks to look at us. I'm not kidding you, she said to her son, "Oh my god, would you look at that!" and literally dragged him away down another aisle away from us.

Love Costs.

My kids were all being quiet and just riding in the cart at that point except for the oldest who was trying to help me find the sale item we wanted. He looked at me and said, "Mom, what was her problem? We're not doing anything wrong?"

Love Costs.

I drove home thinking about what lesson she taught her son today in frozen foods, because I know what lesson she helped me teach my kids in the van.

Love Costs.