Retail Frustration

Anyone with even the slightest sense of humor probably would have cracked up laughing at the girls and me on Tuesday. Let me back up though, it all started Sunday night...

With all the Christmas shopping, play practice, freezing cold football games, etc. we've been involved with lately, the grocery shopping has been a little off kilter at our house. So, on Sunday evening I dashed off to Kroger to pick up some must haves for the week. Plus, it was 10 for $10 sale time, wooohooo! Hannah was along for the ride and I had a list and coupons, to keep myself on track. The shopping was fine, as always I got more than the things on my list. I love Andy's nonchalant approach to my senseless worry over not sticking to the list. He always says, "We're gonna eat it, right? So, what's wrong?" Can't help it, I'm just a list maker and I like to have a system. Anyone who is irritated by this personality trait of mine can speak to my older sister, who I believe has this condition just as badly (if not worse).

So, I'm finished shopping at Kroger and Hannah has been a champ but is really getting tired now and starting to fuss. I open a box of Zwieback toasts and give her one to occupy her on the way home and it helps. Jump in the car and off we go.

But, wait. Once we got home and everything was put away I realize that my coupon sorter is missing! When I got in the car I must have left it in the shopping cart. Now you're probably starting to think that between the list making and this, I must really be a nut of the highest order. Coupons, what is the big deal? Well, I had racked up several valuable coupons at CVS, Kroger, etc. which probably amounted to $20 in savings. This was a big deal! So, I called Kroger and spoke to a very nice girl who understood my concern and promised to call back if they found it. Half an hour or so later, they did. Yay! I promised I'd pick it up on Tuesday morning.

Of course, when I promised that, I had no idea that a monsoon would be moving through the area on Tuesday morning. On Tuesday you would have either really taken pity on us or cracked up laughing. Here is a young woman, carrying a carseat with an increasingly heavy infant in one hand, an umbrella in the other. Hood was up, carseat was covered, but I swear, we were still getting really wet. Alongside me is a little figure in a lavendar coat, carrying a large Tinkerbell umbrella (thanks Mom) which comes down to her chin and she cannot see anything but her shoes. Don't ask, there was no way she was venturing out in the rain without the umbrella she loves!

So, I've got the carseat hooked over my left arm and my umbrella in my left hand. My right hand is gently guiding Abigail in the right direction. She is imploring me to "STOP pushing me!" in her tiny little voice. Thank goodness I left my purse in the car. The trip back to the car was just as interesting, except the oh so valuable coupon sorter was stuffed down inside my coat. I had no place else to put it! Once we were all back in, wet and sticky, I'm thinking to myself that I really need to reevaluate the importance of these dumb coupons! Both kids promptly fell asleep.