shopping with kids

One reason I am looking forward to school starting is that I will only have one child to take grocery shopping or to my beloved Target.

Today I had the pleasure of running errands with all four kids. It wasn't so bad actually. Except for the asking for gumballs at every shop we went to and hiding in the hanging rugs at the paint store. Really, not too bad.

Then we arrived at Target.

After taking Erin to the potty I came out to find the three older kids all jammed into the extra seat part of those longer buggies that are nice except if you have to turn or come too close to the shelves. And they're not just sitting quietly. They were stating that there were kids for sale. Only $20.

Now, this is Target.

I frequent this store often and have to keep up appearances.

The fussing began as I told everyone "OUT!" Then I thought...they only have a week left before school, let them do something fun. So I said okay but NO fighting and NO asking for anything or else you're walking.

Erin climbed on and I saw four smiling kids - so I smiled and began my journey.

There's no fighting. That's fabulous.

THEN they all got it in their minds to sing that peaceful jungle song...you know, the one I have painstakenly found for you to listen to as you read the post. A-Wimoweh, A-Wimoweh... Now, I've been a Mom for 11 1/2 years and am actually quite fabulous at blocking out a lot of their noises. And I really didn't notice that they were singing at all until they hit the high pitched

A-Weeeeeeeeeee-eeee-eee-eee-eeeeeee-umm-umm-a-weh

It was screechy and so loud! So I nicely asked them to shush.

Nope.

The whole rest to the shopping trip I was serenaded to sleeping lions, hush my darlings, and HEY HEYs.

Not so peaceful.

I have slowly learned my lesson that as soon as you lose it and begin to talk angrily (aka. yell - yes, sometimes I do) someone you know walks around the corner.

So I smiled and tried to go to my ignoring place. I managed quite well until the screeching A-Weeeee....came up again.

I then decided to wait a week and a half for the rest of my Target 'wants' and head to the register, glad that I hadn't yelled and hadn't run into anyone I knew. As I swiped my card (smiling because I was almost out of there- although dreading the car ride home - less air space for the sound to dissipate in) I turned to look at the kids and saw Mike Parkhurst from church standing right next to the cart.

I guess if it was anyone I'm glad it was him. He has a good sense of humor.

(unlike some of the shoppers who weren't as amused with my children's budding performance skills)

Fortunately they didn't think it was as fun to sing it in the car.