Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Picking My Battles


Today, for the first time in about a month, I ventured out for the "big" grocery shopping adventure. This is not the quick fruit, milk and veggies run to Target, but rather that hour long dreaded adventure of a huge trip to Crest. I was braving it alone with both kids. I was nervous as who knows what they might decide they HAD to have or how long M can really stand to ride in the cart or maybe they would be perfect helpers.

In these situations, I tend to pick my battles. I am, unfortunately, not as consistent at this as I would like. Right after allowing my son to select a huge bag of ice pops (read water + sugar + food coloring), I categorically refused to let him buy any juice that was less than 100% juice. (Granted, if I followed my pediatricians' guidance it would have been no juice at all). There was wailing and protestation, even though this is ALWAYS the rule. He chose something random that he's never had before, but allegedly Loves. I stubbornly insisted on something labled 100% juice as my battle for the day. When I got home, I read a bit more closely and it appears there may be a few other "flavors" in there. Sigh.

Lesson for the day: we do the best we can and that often has to be enough even if it is not perfection.

I, meanwhile, survived to fight another day a couple hundred dollars poorer, but with enough (mostly) healthy food to keep us happy for quite awhile. Once home, I chose to have a dance party while putting away the groceries with kid-helpers rather than be annoyed at the lack of focus I was getting and messes being made. Hooray for iLuv and happier mamas everywhere.

Ps. We will at very long last both have smartphones as of tomorrow sometime. Who knows what wackiness awaits!
Posted by Picasa

1 comment:

Debra Dotter Blakley said...

When you're going down the rapids (a.k.a. raising children) just keep paddling and try to miss as many rocks as you can. You will get wet. Try to keep each other from falling out of the boat. Accidents will happen but hopefully everyone will get through it together. Savor the moments in the still water. Keep smiling and holding onto each other.
Love you all. If it makes you feel better, and it should, you guys used to eat McDonald's happy meals all the time (ugh!) just so I would have a few minutes to breath while you played on the playground. I know. I am a terrible mother, but you lived through it and I managed to retain at least some of my sanity. That's all I could ask for.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...