"Never Go to the Grocery Store Hungry"...

This age old advice is a good rule of thumb for most adults to follow. It helps so you don't overspend or buy junk food you really shouldn't be eating in the first place. Today, however, I found it also holds true for 16 month old Zechariah's. Upon walking into the store we start our shopping in the produce section. As I was hunting for the perfect tomatoes, I see Zech out of the corner of my eye frantically signing "more"...he uses the sign "more" whenever he wants something...followed by the sign "please" over and over. He knows that when he signs "please" we really hardly ever resist him, it's that darn cute. I look at what he's staring at and I see he's spotted the raspberries. So I say "Oh you want mommy to buy you raspberries? Ok". I walk over, pick out a carton and place it in the cart. Silly mommy. Babies don't really understand you have to BUY the item first before consuming it. This was not what Zech was referring to when he signed "more" and "please"...the signing continues, now coupled with the beginning of cries..."What Zech? Do you want raspberries now?" I get the carton but stop and think, wait they haven't been washed..as Zech's cries start to get a little louder, the signing has stopped, frustration has taken hold and he's about to bust out in full blown tantrum any minute.

I. can. feel. it. in. my. bones.

Must act quickly!!

So what do I do??? What any normal mom who wants to avoid melt down status would do, I open the carton of raspberries and give him some. Immediately the tears stop and he happily chews away on his sweet treat. I rationalize in my head that a little dirt won't hurt and besides, they're organic, the dirt probably makes them that much more "natural"?! :) So now that he's had some raspberries I figure we're in for a nice little shopping trip, me feeding him his fruit every time he signs "more"...This will keep him busy, we go on our happy way...Right????

WRONG! As we turn down the cracker aisle what does he see???...GOLDFISH! Now he is no longer interested in his raspberries and wants Goldfish. STAT! So I give in. I get a bag, open it right there in the store and give him some Goldfish. He smiles as he chews :)...we continue on and before you know it, he spots his baby Cheetos! Gerber makes these veggie flavored Cheeto looking things that Nathanael and I call baby crack because Zech is addicted to these. I am not kidding. He actually salivates when he sees them. I actually usually avoid the aisle that carries them but today of course Von's was featuring them in a end cap and didn't call to prepare me beforehand so I bumped into them accidentally. So guess what? Zech no longer wanted Goldfish. He wants his baby Cheetos! And again, mommy complied. I mean he did the sign for please, you gotta see it...with those big brown eyes looking at you. And the drool forming on the corner of his little mouth. And really this has been the best shopping trip ever. Other then the first bout of crying when I was trying to figure out what he wanted with the raspberries, the kid has remained silent because he's been eating and thus mommy is getting her shop on rather quickly and efficiently! So off we went, Zech now eating baby Cheetos and I am almost done when...

We turn down the frozen section...he eyes the ice cream...that wild look comes over him. Zechy loves him some ice cream...

I draw the line at ice cream.

I mean I don't carry a spoon in my purse (although maybe I should? hmmm...)

But thankfully I don't get too much opposition from my son when I say "sorry no ice cream right now" because really after eating half a carton of raspberries, 2/3's of a bag of goldfish, and almost a whole can of baby Cheetos...he was pretty stuffed.

And that my friends is how you get through a shopping trip with a toddler.

Unconventional parenting tips, I'm just full of them aren't I? :)