When faced with empty cupboards or dragging 3 children to the store with me... I go through the McD’s drive-thru. We have reached that point where there is little in the house other than oatmeal, peanut butter, and lots of frozen meat. I must get to the store and soon. But I’d rather eat dirt than take 3 kids to the store with me. It will have to wait until nap time, or tomorrow, or just another time.

With children in tow, I generally spend more than I had intended, end up with weird items that aren’t found in the natural world, and I invariably have to toss in an extra bottle or wine or two. Whine leads to wine for this momma.

If I make the mistake of taking my adorable children monsters with me to the self bagging store when I need more than one bag of groceries, I am typically pushed to the brink of my sanity. Jack is climbing all over the counter or running off to look at the blinking lights on the soda machines. Finn is talking NONSTOP about all the snacks he hopes to chow down on once we get home. Rian, while trying to be helpful is just not quite cutting it. She is a bit slow, or keeps stopping to say, “Is this good? See how I put this carton in with this box? It fits so nicely!” And I’m just trying to keep the stuff moving into the bags, keep an eye on Jack, at least remember to nod appropriately in time with Finn’s conversations, and not bite Rian’s head off for her to move it.

And don’t get me started on having to unload it all.