An All or Nothing Kind of Girl

We are having yet another snow storm in this fine state of Vermont. I growl about it but it is February after all. I should expect this.

To preface this re-accounting, I must tell you I have this quirky thing about me.... when I hear about a storm coming I panic a little. I must go to the store and stock up on six hundred and eighty seven eggs, twelve loaves of bread, twenty-seven gallons of milk, fifteen pounds of butter and enough snacks to feed an army. Just in case.

I'm so weird.

Here is where the problem developed. Daniel had to work late last night and my angel-girl who plays with Eve and Judah for a couple hours in the afternoon wasn't able to come.

You know where this is going, right?

Remember when I told you that I hadn't gone shopping with the three kids yet? The day that I had psyched myself up to go we had a snow storm? That I'm a wimp? Well, that is all history, baby....

I decided it was the night - I was going to do it. All three kids and I were going to conquer my fears together. Before I could wimp out I loaded them up in the van ( no small feat in and of itself!) and off we drove through the snow to get it done.

Before we got out to go and shop at the health food store I laid out the "plan." I'm going to choose to think that my "plan" wasn't a form of bribery but wisdom from above. Sounds good, right?! Okay, we'll roll with that. This is what I did: I explained that by their good behavior in the store they could earn a trip to the library. (You have to know I would not have taken them to the library if they had bad behavior. Just ask Daniel. I'm all about following through with what I've said. )

Happy screams all around!

In the store we went and they were angels. Seriously. This is the store that causes me to quiver in fear when I think of taking the kids in it. Small, narrow aisles; tons of low shelves perfect for curious hands to grab items from and usually I am buying eggs. All that spells: T-R-O-U-B-L-E. But Judah didn't grab one thing. The kids held hands the whole time and were very helpful.

Library trip earned.

Happy screams all around, again!

Next was the grocery store. And it was busy. Judah only took one thing off the shelf - a box of pasta. But, he put it right back - no stress. They did amazing again! It really helped to have them hold hands the whole time we were out of the van. That meant only one hand was free to preform mischief... cutting the chances of that happening in half! This time for their good behavior they earned a trip to the tiny grocery store down the road from our house. It is the store where we buy ice cream cones for their after dinner(If they have eaten well) ice cream dessert.

More happy screams!

So, in all I took the kids ( all three, remember!) to the health food store, the grocery store, the library, and the tiny grocery store. In a snow storm. Nothing like easing in, right! I thought about it later that evening and realized it was true to my all or nothing nature.

Go big or go home...

And I couldn't go home - I had twenty-five pounds of bananas to buy.