« How to charm me | Quod erat demonstrandum »
These are Days
January 08, 2005 | Category: Family, It's a Trip
SO Bear has decided he doesn't need naps any more.
Except, he does. Which is how we ended up at the grocery store this evening with a wired up 4-year-old bouncing in the cart in the exact manner it says not to do. Right there, in the pictograms.
We barely made it to the check-out lane with our sanity intact.
Note: Every Friday we get an "allowance". We take out the money we will need for the week: Babysitter, Groceries, Take-Out, Gas for the car, like that. When the cash is gone, it better be next Friday.
So CD asks me, casually, as they are ringing up the magilla-billion items from our cart, grabbed in haste while keeping our overtired son from committing 4 kinds of federal mayhem. He asks me, as we read on the rags facing us that Jen and Brad are Together! Breaking Up!, How much money do we have for groceries.
And I freeze.
I have no flipping clue.
And as I start to pull out my wallet to see how much money we have, and I look over and realize that the cashier in the next lane is the boy next door. Literally, our neighbor's son. Who has been forced by his mother to babysit for us on occasion and I think that's why he growls and runs when he sees us.
And in my head, I picture it: I don't have enough money, CD's left the cash card at home, we're torn between charging groceries on the credit card or having the manager come over and approve a void. The line behind us grows restless. And there, the boy from next door, watching us.
All this. Because I have a mind that Stephen King would envy, y'all.
Just an average day at the grocery store... but NO, now they are "THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUTCASTS".
The total came to $120. I had that and money to spare. Of course I did, silly. We do this every week.
Gotta dial back on the Tylenol or something.
I made sure we waved to the neighbor boy as we were leaving. Us, lovely family. Who had PLENTY of money. And who's son is not the one yelling C0ck-c0ck-c0ck-c0ck-a-DOODIE! as we head for the exit.
Delicious! | 
Stumble It! | 
Slashdot It!
