A priceless trip to...

Friday after picking Number One up from school, we went to the library, and then to Trader Joe's to do a little shopping. I do really like Trader Joe's, and find it reasonably priced for what they sell, but we still don't go often. Both because it is kind of far from us, and also because I can really get more for my money by shopping the sales at Jewel-Osco, or at Aldi, or of course, in buying commercial quantities at Sam's Club.

Anyway...they have this AMAZING pear sauce that I just really really wanted. Pregnancy, maybe? And we were out of milk, so I decided to do the brave and insane thing, and haul all four kids to Trader Joe's to do some shopping.


I hoisted Number Four into the Ergo, as he really has no tolerance for sitting in a cart. This product is AMAZING!!! I have the cranberry colored one, and find it so comfortable to wear either Number Three or Number Four on my back for a long time. I look kind of like the model pictured when I wear mine, except my belly is about 22 times larger, and I have to wear the belt underneath my belly.


Lucky me, Trader Joe's is one of those places that provides child size metal carts in an attempt to drastically multiply a harried mom's number of impulse buys. Of course each of my three darling daughters needed their own cart, which turned our little trip for pear sauce and milk into quite a parade.



We wound our little parade up and down the aisles. We found the milk. Discovered that they are out of pear sauce and think it may be DISCONTINUED!!!

Tried a sample of some sweet and sour chicken that the kids liked, so we bought some of that. Tried to choose one treat, but found it easier to let each child choose their own for their own cart.

Practiced our math by keeping a careful tally of who had more items in their cart, and worked on adding extras when finding one cart deficient (though subtraction would have been more cost effective).

Tried to keep peace, be patient with Number One's upset stomach, and keep the parade out of the way of the innocent bystanders.

Appreciated the patience of our checker, and his apparent blindness. When he made a friendly comment about how many helpers I had (as we had arrived to the check-out with three full child's carts, plus a selection of items in my cart), Number One piped up about how we were having another baby. He dismissed it as not happening for at least a while. Um...did you not notice the HUGE belly?!? How flattering! The whole thing was exhausting for me.

Cost of the trip for milk and pear sauce? $109.

But the priceless part? Though I felt like I was barely hanging in there at the end, we saw a teacher's aid we know from Number One's school while we had been shopping. We happened to check out at the same time, and she said:

"You know, you just make that look effortless."

I was too stunned to answer! I am used to the typical "you sure have your hands full," and the occasional, "you are so blessed." But this comment caught me so off guard that I was left speechless, and I honestly can't remember the last time that happened.

I would consider that $109 money well spent. Not only have I been able to enjoy some more unusual (for us) and tasty foods this weekend (which is especially meaningful as I haven't been able to enjoy much of any kind of food this pregnancy), I also got a priceless boost.

So the moral of the story is...when you see a mom shopping with lots of kids at the store, be sure not to pass up the opportunity to make her day by saying something positive.