pet·u·lant
adj \ˈpe-chə-lənt\1: insolent or rude in speech or behavior
2: characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish
People think it's a challenge to go to a quiet place and meditate? I'll give you a challenge, all you Eat, Pray, Love disciples. If you really want to build mental stamina, go to the grocery store with a five-year-old. Do it after you've run ten other errands, but before lunch. Put the five-year-old in a fire-truck-shaped cart with a baby and tell her not to poke the baby in the eye. If you're a newcomer to this form of mental exercise, just get the ingredients for dinner. If you have worked your way up to more of a challenge, try successfully rounding up ingredients for three parties' menus and two weeks' worth of lunches and after-school snacks. Complete the task without losing your cool when the child tips over a display full of tortilla chips.
People think it's a challenge to go to a quiet place and meditate? I'll give you a challenge, all you Eat, Pray, Love disciples. If you really want to build mental stamina, go to the grocery store with a five-year-old. Do it after you've run ten other errands, but before lunch. Put the five-year-old in a fire-truck-shaped cart with a baby and tell her not to poke the baby in the eye. If you're a newcomer to this form of mental exercise, just get the ingredients for dinner. If you have worked your way up to more of a challenge, try successfully rounding up ingredients for three parties' menus and two weeks' worth of lunches and after-school snacks. Complete the task without losing your cool when the child tips over a display full of tortilla chips.
Enjoying Xanthe's company is a highly strenuous mental exercise for me. It includes looking at the mountains while she whines and admiring their beauty, focusing on keeping my voice level and cheerful, taking deep breaths before explaining something for the fifth time and building up my facial muscles to smile sweetly, especially when I would rather shove her into someone else's car and drive away. Just when I can't take the sound of the back window rolling up and down for another second, Xanthe says something adorable.
"Mom, I don't want to go to the doctor to have a baby when I grow up. I just want Ptolemy!" I forget about the tortilla display and the window rolling and the eye poking. I turn and look at those rosy baby cheeks of my little spicy girl and smile. A real smile this time. My exercise regime was successful today.
6 comments:
Circe- Can I tell you how much I enjoyed this post?! This was me yesterday but with two carts with the boys in each one and the girls pushing their own carts. It was only when Claire sandwiched an old woman in the frozen food section that I almost started yelling! Thanks for the post!:) Glad to hear someone else is enjoying the grocery shopping as much as me!
Oh shoot. I'm sorry Izzy social calendar with dance was full today. She would have LOVED to be a distraction. In fact, we could have hosted the distraction here. :) The only thing this post missed was the yelling at the end.... "Can I get a treat? Can I get a treat?" At least, that is what my kids do to create my zen experience at the store. :)
This morning James and I read the Underwater Alphabet Book. X was Xanthidae, a classification for crabs. Who knew?
Imagine what good shape you are in!
I am so laughing! We had that same trip to the store the other day. I am not so good at focusing on something else, I usually say something in a huff or in a sweet tone, but with my eyes rolling. Loved this post!!!
Also, just MOMENTS after I read your comment on my blog, I walked into my room to find a whole SHREDDED roll of toilet paper in the carpet.
Good luck to both of us is an understatement.
I will bring you the black and white tomorrow if you want, I will see if I can add a bun!
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