My First Blog.....

I decided that it was time to chronicle the crazy things my kids do, have a chance to practice my writing and keep in touch better with family and friends through cyberspace. So...here we go with my first blog post.

Random acts of Kindness can make your day!

Although I'd like to think I noticed random acts of kindness before Charles left, I think being a temporary single mom has made me notice my surroundings more. Not that it's that different than simply going on an outing alone with my kids while Dad is elsewhere in town but I think it's just that I'm more on guard knowing that Charles isn't somewhere nearby in the same store or within close driving distance to help.

That being said, Tuesday, I stopped at Sam's Club after picking up the kids from daycare, stressing to them that if they had good listening ears we would get a "yum" (a stop at McDonald's) afterwards. While struggling with the constant musical seats the kids like to play in the shopping cart (Boopy in the basket, Big Boy in the front seat then Boopy in the front and Big Boy in the back, then alternating who gets to walk and who gets to help push the cart, repeat...) you can understand the frustration for having to make a stop for only 1 or 2 items. What once was a quick 10 minute shopping stop has now been stretched out to at the minimum 20 to 30 minutes depending on how cooperative the kids are and how often I have to put on my mean mama face. Tuesday's stop turned out to be more "mean mama" rather than "what great kids you are, let's get a reward!".

So, after chasing my lanky, fast, laughing 3 1/2 year old all around the freezer section all while toting a spirited, screaming 15 month old sideways under my arm while she clings to the cart handle thinking she's big enough to push it herself, I put on my "mean mama" face. Big Boy promptly received a time out, unfortunately though it was near the milk so this only increased our issues because he now was begging for a drink. After a few tortuous minutes, I quickly set Boopy down, picked up Big Boy, threw him crying into the back of the cart, scooped Boopy back up before she had a chance to escape and promptly began my journey to the checkout. It's amazing how many people don't want to make eye contact with you as you pass by with screaming children. The few that do give you that "oh, I sooo understand and I feel for you" look.

Finally at the checkout I switched Big Boy to the front seat since he asked nicely through his still falling tears. With Boopy still sideways under my left arm, I attempted to pick up the large square box of Big Boy's pull-ups. Thankfully, here's where the first act of random kindness came in to play. A wonderful lady in front of me, with children of her own and not even appearing to speak English very well, immediately grabbed the box I was struggling with and loaded it up on the counter. A simple smile, nod of her head and a my thank you and my evening was already looking up. We made it through the checkout, got Boopy to happily sit back in the cart and we were on our way to the car.

Unloading the cart is always a juggling act. Do you unload the kids first and chance them sitting in the car too long or do you unload your purchases and chance the kids attempting an escape from the cart? Based on Big Boy's lack of listening ears and Boopy's apparent thirst for independence, this trip loading the kids first was definitely the way to go. After I lectured Big Boy to stay seated, I proceeded to load Boopy into the car. Of course, I couldn't do this the easy way and put her in her car seat on the right side of the car where she sits. Instead I had to climb in the left side over Big Boy's seat. The parking lot at Sam's has never been the best. The designer was obviously a small person driving a small car and oblivious to the fact that most valley drivers drive large SUVS or vans leaving very little room to open vehicle doors. That being said, my parking job hadn't been the best and a large SUV had parked so close to my right side of the car there was no hope of loading Boopy in that way. After climbing backwards out of the car, I retrieved Big Boy from the cart and directed him to climb into his booster seat. I unloaded the two items into the car, contemplated ditching the cart or being "good" and returning it to it's proper cart return spot, when I was approached by a wonderful woman who insisted on grabbing my cart to return with her own. Ah, what a relief it was to have kind people willing to actually do simple random acts of kindness! Even better was the calm it put on my mood as I was ready to gripe about the SUV parked next to me until I realized that the woman helping me was the driver.

All in all a usual, outing for Big Boy, Boopy and Mama Vaughn.