Running Errands with Mommy

It can be really hard finding time to go run errand without the kids. It's way too difficult to take both with me to stores now because they both don't fit in the shopping cart and Timo has discovered he can "help" by taking things off the shelf and rearranging them on another shelf. There is also the excitement of pushing the shopping cart around but unfortunately most stores frown upon demolition derby style shopping. So now I find that our weekends are taken up with me running household errands, coming home and then Young running out to maybe take care of an errand or two...leaving little time for us, as a family, to do fun things on the weekends. It's a major drawback to not living near family that you can just dropping the kids off or have Grandma come over and play with the kids while you run out.

But we have chosen to live out here and chosen to live in SF so I needed to stop pouting about it and make the most of it. It was time the kids learn how to behave and suffer though some errands like I suffer through playground madness every other day or so! I loaded the kids up on day and set out for errands. Our fist stop, Target. I hit the food court first thing and got each a bag of pop corn..worked like a charm! They both sat quietly, Cameron in the seat and Timo in the basket, munching on the pop corn the whole time. Then we hit Kohl's where I let them try on all sorts of shoes before we settled on matching little crocs for them them...they were so happy to have the shoes. I don't have pics of the first two places because I was in survival mode...just trying to get in and out.

By the time we hit Trader Joes, I was so happy with the kids for being so good, I decided to give them a treat and have lunch at McDonald's. We don't do this often and they have never actually be INSIDE a McDonald's...just passed through the drive thru. Oh, what fun the kids had. From waiting in line, ordering, grabbing their own napkins, picking out our table, eating and then throwing their trash in the trash can!!! Every little step was an adventure to them. The only downside is they weren't really into the food. Cameron ate only the apple slices and Timo ate half a nugget, a few fries and drank all his apple juice box. But oh well, they were having so much fun and being so good, I didn't really care what they ate.
After lunch we went next door to Trader Joes. Out of all the grocery stores I go to, TJs is the one place I don't mind taking the kids because they give out balloons....well, at most stores. Of course this TJs didn't do balloons, they do one better...tiny shopping carts for the kids! How perfect!! I got them each a cart and off we went grocery shopping. Timo only turned his cart over once and Cameron only hit two other people's cart so I'd say it was a success.

They did such a good job following me and each other around the store and even stood by their carts while in line at the check out.

When we were done, it was time to turn the carts in at the counter and head up the elevator to the parking lot...but the kids couldn't give up their carts. The VERY nice employee followed us out to the car so the kids could go as far as possible with the cart. Excellent customer service with a smile.
I was so proud of the kids for being on their best behavior! We had a great morning out together. It gave me hope and I tried it again the next week only to be met with melt downs, clinging and just general unhappiness to get in and out of the car a few times. Oh well, I guess it makes the times when it's really fun even more special!