Adventures in grocery shopping...

Grocery shopping has never ever been one of my favorite household tasks, but it is something I find myself doing far too often. I have tried to cut my trips down to once a week by cooking meals once a month, I have tried making a menu for a week and just shopping once a week, I have tried budgeting out just so much cash and then just spending that amount. But no matter what, I find myself wandering back to the store at least 2 times in week, many times more. Apart from moving to the country, or taking away my driving privileges, I don't exactly know how to fix this. I guess I could just use good ol' self-control, but that would take work! :)

At any rate, this morning I found myself back in the store with Leah in tow, and that is always an experience. She love to help bag the fruit and veggies, and now that she's counting everything, I often have her count four apples, or three oranges. That keeps her occupied for a little while. She loves the grocery store, and loves to experience all the colors and new things. And of course, I'm just trying to get through the place! When we finally get all the groceries in the cart, she announces her need for a bathroom, which has us running halfway across the store. That emergency taken care of, we can finally purchase our groceries. Leah loves to "help buy", so she has her little pink purse ready to go, with her .29 to purchase a yogurt. She helps load all the groceries on the belt, and since this store is a self-bagging store, she runs to the end to help bag as well. So...we have now restocked all our grocery bag supply, since Leah insisted on bagging one thing per bag. I caught up with her and started "helping", but this is something she loves to do, and takes great pride in. So there wasn't much I could do. :)

Overall, it's a fun time together...but harrowing at times. Adventures, indeed.

When to say when...

The other day we had the express pleasure of attending a birthday party for one of our neighbors who was turning 2 years old. This little girl is a fun friend in the neighborhood and I have enjoyed getting to know her grandparents with whom she and her mom live. However, when I received in the mail not only her invitation but also a card to let us know where she was registered, I was sickened. When is bringing pleasure to a child just a show of a sick kind of extravangance? When, in essence, should we say "when"?

This precious little girl had more presents than I have had in all my birthdays combined I believe...and not one of them did she really enjoy. They are just piled on top of everything else she already has, and simply become riff-raff. When we brought her little gift over she didn't even want to open it...she was on sensory overload by this point. This fun celebration was soured because of the fact that nobody is telling this child "when".

We have a birthday in our house coming up too...my little girl is very excited to turn 4, and is excited for her Curious George cake. There will be presents, yes, but I am more convicted than ever that the greatest gift I can give is a lesson in simplicity. To enjoy the things we have, and to enjoy them fully. Everything else is simply riff-raff.