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.

Don't underestimate what you say.

Way, way (way) back in my "previous" life, I waited tables. In that life, I saw LOTS of people every day. And most of them said *something*, and for most, I don't really remember what. But there are three things that have stuck with me through all the years:

1. "Smile more. It makes people wonder what you're up to." This came from an older gentleman, dining alone, and he and I had been having a nice little waitress/diner chat as he ate. At the end of his meal, he asked if he could give me some advice, and that's what he said.



2. "You're savvy." I don't know that I actually *am* savvy, but a couple who owned another restaurant in the same town, one day thought I was. Not sure why, but it makes me happy.



3. "Sheeeew-eee, baby! You our waitress?" My response was "No" and I walked away to get the manager. It was the only time I ever refused to wait on a table. I should add that I am not now, and was not then, *H-O-T*, they were probably intoxicated.

So when you're out there, talking to the waiters and waitresses, cashiers and baggers, friends and family, and everyone else you come across in your daily life, think about what you're saying. They just might remember it. And for the record, any variation of "Shew-ee, baby" is never a good idea.

Don't Underestimate SNOW! (in NC)

Yes, I've been gone. Both from home and from blogging, but a lot longer for the latter. We got through the holidays (next year, I think I'll just sign off from November 30th until mid-January) and last week, we had a short vacation in Saint Augustine visiting my parents.

We arrived home last night to discover that it was going to snow! To put this in perspective for all you northerners, the last accumulation even worth mentioning was February 2004. Today, it was only about two inches here, and is almost all melted this evening, but it was the first "real" snow for both the kid *and* the younger dog!

Since we don't actually have snow-appropriate clothing here, we spent a good bit of the morning getting the kid in 2 layers of clothes (like getting him in one isn't hard enough) and then we went outside and played in the snow for about the same amount of time it took to get him dressed. But it was worth it. And for the record, if you're three years old, a cookie sheet *does* make an excellent sled.

Don't Underestimate Thanksgiving

Really. Please. Don't underestimate Thanksgiving. I know it doesn't come with as many decorations as some other winter holidays, and no catchy tunes that I can think of, but why, oh why must the Christmas carols be playing and the trees go up even before the turkey is bought?

I actually love Thanksgiving, it's all about hanging out with your family, watching the parade, playing games and doing puzzles, cooking and eating yummy food (snapping the wishbone!) and let's not forget - giving thanks.


Maybe it's because I am interior-decorating-challenged, but I just cannot get geared up for Christmas until Thanksgiving is done. The next day, if you all want to start the madness, that's OK with me, but it makes me feel sad, every year, that people are so eager to get to Christmas that they must "jump in line" as it were and push poor Thanksgiving aside.


So in my salute to Thanksgiving here are some links for you!


High Heeled Mama's 30 days of thanks

Thanksgiving trivia

The Butterball website

How to make your own pumpkin puree ~ You can make pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin!

Thanksgiving Crafts

Thanksgiving story


Got any more to add?

Don't underestimate the Court Jester

The kid has been having some trouble going to sleep. Since turning three, he has developed fears at night, seemingly of rectangles and circles (no, not kidding, and I don't get it either).

Last night, I decided to try to read him to sleep. Normally, this would have the opposite effect since he loves books and most of them are chock full of pictures and words he wants to "follow along with" (meaning I have to point to the words as I read them). But the husband has a series of books from his childhood that are full of stories, but very few pictures. I made the kid a deal - he stays (mostly) still on the bed and I will read, carefully noting that this is a *listening* story, not an interactive one.

The first story in the volume I picked up was Many Moons by James Thurber. The kid was asleep 2 pages in, but I read the entire thing anyway.

Now, about the Court Jester. The idea of the story is that the Princess Lenore is ill and she thinks she will get better if she has the moon. The King calls in all his wisest advisers, but each one tells him the task is impossible. The Court Jester comes in to cheer him up, hears the tale, and fixes the problem. I'll leave out the details, this little story really is worth reading (for all ages) and I don't want to spoil it.

Here's the thing. The wisest men in the land, who had obtained countless things for the King from every corner of the earth, could not (or would not?) get the moon for the Princess. The Court Jester did. Just because someone tells you something can't be done, doesn't mean it can't. Not everything has to be hard, get out of your wise-man brain and put a little Jester into your thoughts - you might be surprised.

Don't Underestimate procrastination-itis

Yes, I've got it. Bad. The dreaded procrastination-itis.

I have a list a mile long (including "write your blog") and very few things crossed off. Do you know what's holding me back? Jeans. I need new jeans. We are going to Colorado, and somehow, I don't think my NC summer wear is going to cut it.

Why are jeans such a problem? I *hate* to shop. Hate it, hate it, hate it. My sister is like some crazed fashionista who can spend a day trying on clothes and go back and purchase the first thing she tried on. I think having to go along for that as a "tween" (that word didn't even exist back then) has scarred me for life.

So, I procrastinate. I read Facebook, Twitter, online forums, etc. ANYTHING except what's on my list. This has been going on for days. But now, I've started my recovery - cross "write your blog" off the list.

Don't underestimate bears

Don't underestimate bears. I mean, OBVIOUSLY not in the wild, I'm talking about the ones in books.

Today is Paddington Bear's 50th "birthday" (as anyone who used Google search today has already figured out). He and I go waaaaay back. I had the books, the bear, even played Paddington in the 2nd grade play. My dad used to make Paddington's hat "talk" to me before bed when I was in elementary school. For my birthday, my mom gave me the new book, and I'm pleased to report I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would.

Really, how can you go wrong with a children's book that starts with a bear "from Darkest Peru" showing up on a railway platform with a tag that says "Please look after this bear. Thank you."? Now, years later, the kid loves him too, as he should - they're very similar. As Paddington says, "Things happen to me. I'm that sort of bear".

Hug a bear today :-)