Don't underestimate the grocery cart.

Or rather, don't take the grocery cart for granted when your kid is still small enough that you can wrestle him into it.

Today was the day that I realized the kid is too strong for me to *make* him do things. We're at BJ's, strolling the aisles, he's being a very good helper.

Side note - I'm a looper when I shop - I like to go back and forth down the aisles, I do *not* like shortcuts unless I'm in a hurry. Especially at BJ's since there's ALWAYS something I forgot for my list. I'm also a little OCD.

So we're shopping, and we reach the end of an aisle. I prepare to walk down the next aisle, and he starts jumping up and down and screaming that he wants to go see the vegetables.

Another side note - I *know* I should be over the moon that my 3 year old's chosen "tourist stop" at the store is the vegetable section, but that's not really the point here.

I (stupidly) try to reason with him - "We'll get to the vegetables, love, we just need to go down this aisle first. Mommy needs some butter, can you be a big helper and open the door for me?" More screaming, more crying, and now he's rolling around on the floor.

Confident in my Mommy abilities, I go over and pick him up, intending to put him in the cart. SURPRISE, mom! The kid has quadrupled his strength (darn vegetables) and your only choice is to drop him or put him back down on the floor. I put him back down and try tactic 2 - the scary mommy-hiss. "Youwillnotactlikethisinapublicplacethisisinexcusabledoyouhearme?" Of course he doesn't hear me, he's screaming his head off.

Then, in one of my more stellar mommy moments, I stand up, trying desperately to remember "kind but firm" and not quite managing the kind bit, I say (a little more loudly than was strictly necessary judging by the other shoppers), "FINE! You will sit right there until you learn to act like a human, it is NOT OK to throw a hissy fit in the store!" So he stops, and I give him the squinty eye, and say "I'm going to put you in the cart now, and so help me, if you try to make it difficult for me, I will be very angry".

To his credit, he does let me put him in the cart, I think I'm off the hook, and then he says, "Mommy - I am ANGRY at you, you would not let me have any vegetables!"

Sigh.

Keep 'em in the cart while you can, ladies - one day it won't be up to you.