Why?

Why, oh, why, do people invent some things?!!!  Yesterday, I had to go to Joann Fabrics to get some elastic for a pair of shorts I'm making for Rory.  Of course, I could find absolutely no elastic near our house, so off we go on a trek.  I brought the kids, and I must say they were very good!  I also found a very pretty piece of pink and white plaid material, and patterns for a dress for Lily and one for me.  We can match! (hee, hee!)  She's too little yet to realize that she doesn't want to match her mom....I hope.  I'm a little nervous about making the dresses, because I haven't really made anything with a directional print like that, but if you don't try...

So, after the fabric store we got a slice of pizza, and then on to the grocery store.  I usually get groceries close to home, but there was a SUPER STOP & SHOP near the fabric store, so I decided to go there.  As we were going to get a cart, the kids noticed a CAR CART!  Now, they have a car cart at the CVS near home, but it only holds one child, and has a very small shopping basket attached.  This one has a double-seater car, and a HUGE basket with two seats instead of one.  It crossed my mind that I didn't know who would want to bring four children who were small enough to ride in shopping carts grocery shopping, but I guess it's good that they have accommodations for them, right?  Well, the cherubs convince me that this car cart will be perfect for us, so they get in and away we go.  First of all, the thing barely fits through the door, and it really should come motorized.  MUCH harder to push than the reel mower!  Also, it is almost impossible to turn unless you have a parking-lot sized area to do it in.  But, the kids are happy and contained, so we continue.  All of a sudden, the kids are trying to switch seats (kind of like a Chinese Fire Drill effect).  No, Rory is trying to switch seats because he has realized that his horn doesn't work, but Lily's does.  (Why would they have put horns on these things to begin with?)  Lily is quite happy with her seat, and doesn't want to switch, probably because she has realized that Rory's horn doesn't work.  I lay down the law and say they have to stay in their own seats, and it's too bad, but Rory had rough luck with horns.  We're okay until we get to the cereal aisle.  What kind of cereal do you want?  Well, they have to get out of the car.  Now, they're loose, and I can't move very fast because I have this stupid car cart.  Now we're sideways in the aisle, blocking everyone else from both directions.  Get straightened around, get both kids back in car, I pick out the cereal.  We're off again.  Lily gets her foot out of the car.  Get her back in.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Rory gets out of the car.  I tell him he has to get back in, or stay out.  He gets back in.  Out.  Stay out, then.  Lily gets out.  She's tired and wants to be carried.  Okay, Rory push the cart.  Grunt, Groan.  Rory can't push the cart because it weighs 20 tons.  Clear out child seat in cart, put Lily in.  Rory has to use the bathroom.  It's on the other side of the store (you know, the side we had STARTED on).  Go to bathroom.  Rory pulls the soap dispenser apart because he can't figure out how to get the soap out.  He's in the men's room, so I can't go in and help.  Tell him to leave it and someone will figure it out.  Go back through store to find things we forgot because the store is set up differently from our usual store, finally get to checkout.  Can't unload cart because car is in the way.  Finally get car pushed into line far enough to unload, check out, debit card doesn't work right, have to start over using credit card, escape (very slow escape, kind of like the O.J. car chase, if you remember that one), get groceries and kids in car, open candy because we're all stressed out, Lily goes to sleep, we all go home.  Next time, I'm shopping at the little piddly local store with no car carts!