Grocery Store Blessings

We were out yesterday doing our semi-monthly Aldi/Meijer trip and as a general rule we grocery shop as a family. When Matt and I got married it was something that we enjoyed doing together. He likes food and I liked that he was there so he never had the opportunity to say, “You spent HOW much on groceries!” Not that he would, ‘cause he’s just awesome like that, but still, he never was even given the chance to be tempted. When he started Med School he was only home on weekends and so we used grocery shopping as a family outing – usually mixing it with dinner out to make it “fun.” Regardless of how it got started it has evolved into two adults taking five young children to the store. It’s usually not that bad but we get our share of weird looks and comments.

We get the occasional, “Your kids are so well behaved,” OCCASIONALLY! And we definitely get a lot of, “Wow! You have your hands full.” I just had a conversation with a friend about how sick she is of comments like that. I have to admit, they can get really old, really fast. I know most people don’t mean to be annoying but when you’re told you have a “special place in heaven” for having “ALL THOSE KIDS” on a regular basis it can make you think you’re a part of a freak show. Usually they don’t bother me so much, I’ve grown accustomed to most of it and let it roll off my back.

Still, I was a slightly concerned when we got into Aldi last night and the kids were a little bonkers. They weren’t totally spastic or anything but when you haven’t been out of the house in a while cabin fever sets in and the grocery store is the most exciting place in the world. Thankfully, the store was mostly empty. Midway through the store Jilly started asking to take Wally home. Um, what? Apparently, Wally is what she calls little watermelons. I look back and she is hugging a small seedless watermelon telling me that she really loves Wally and wants to take one home. At this point I notice a lady smiling at me. Then Jill takes my shopping list and pretends to read it, announcing, “Mommy, you need to get a castle.” And then, “Oops, I had it upside down. You need chicken.”  The lady chuckles and looks over our two carts (the one for food and the one for kids) and says, “You have 5 kids?” I said yes and she asked the ages and if any of them were twins. Then she gets a great big smile and says, “You are really lucky!”

I can’t tell you what a great feeling that was. I left there smiling. I didn’t realize how much I had steeled myself against the negative comments and how wonderful it felt to have someone recognize my children for the blessing that they are. Instead of asking me if I was done, that kind lady didn’t even flinch when my kids announce, “ANNNNNDDD, Mommy wants another baby!”

Sometimes it’s really just the little things that make your day. I still feel rosy about it despite the screaming and fighting going on in the next room or the fact that Asher has his gun tucked into his diaper! J