Worst Shopping Trip Ever

So it happened, we had the worst trip to HEB last week. We needed groceries and I had a meeting that evening so I decided to push through and take the girls with me. We get to the store and luckily there is a racecar shopping cart in one of the shopping cart corrals. I park right by it, get out and grab it then load one baby then go to the other side and load second baby. Lock the car and we're off. Not even in the store completely and Sloane stands up in the seat. Strap must be too loose. Sit her down mess with buckle, try to tighten but doesn't budge much. Oh well, I'm going to be quick, lets just start moving. Grab grapes, strawberries, and bananas. She's up again. Stop, buckle her back in, head to the meats. Pretty much every time or every other time I stopped she was trying to stand up. I had crackers in my purse so I tried to bribe her with that but she wasn't hungry since she had just had snack. So I proceed to carry her and push Stella in the cart. Do you know how hard those darn things are to push?!? And one handed??? I had to put her back in before my arm fell off and Stella was crying because I wasn't carrying her. Oh ya, I was THAT mom. The one they all look and say, Awww you have your hands full. Yes I do, now get out of the way!!!
Finally get to checkout line and there are only a handful of checkers today. This is the worst part of the shopping trip on a good day much less when we are near meltdown. I glance around for anything that I can give them to make them happy for 5 minutes while I unload the cart and pay. (Or wait several minutes for our turn to even get up the little belt to unload) I see some little plastic easter eggs with Hello Kitty and Princesses. Score! I grab 2 and hand them to the girls. Happy for a second then Stella wants the one Sloane has. Geez! I give them both another one. So now BOTH girls are banging eggs together and having a great time. I get some of the groceries unloaded then Sloane stands up and holds her hands up "Mommy, Mommy!" No Sloane, Mommy can't hold you. Sit down. Where are the eggs?? Oh ya, on the ground under the basket. Geez, just get the eggs (which are A DOLLAR a piece) and be quiet for a few more minutes! Please just a few more minutes!
So we get to the checker and I tell him I need to pay for the eggs but I only want two not four. So I hand him 2 and he scans them and hands them back then I grab the other ones and I say I don't want these. He gets confused and starts hitting void. I said no I want the first 2 just not these. I smile and say I promise you will get it when you have kids. (I am not paying $4.00 for 4 little eggs! come on!)
So we're not done yet, no, not even close. Walk out of the store and some guy and his wife/girlfriend are arguing. She is carrying a middle aged baby on her hip abnd he is pushing the cart. He keeps stopping in front of me to bug her about what is wrong and why she's mad. I try to steer away from them and not make eye contact so he doesn't get mad at me but before I know we are on the same aisle again, then they are parked 2 cars away. He is cussing and yelling at her and making me very uncomfortable. I just want to get the stuff in the car and go. HEB is usually great about helping me out with the groceries when I am by myself with the twins but I think this day they were a little short staffed and didn't offer. The one time it would be really nice to have someone who works there outside with me for protection, assistance, moral support! haha
I open the back hatch and start loading groceries. I am holding Sloane so she won't fall out onto the concrete because she keeps standing up. I can't load the stuff fast enough and of course being "green" like they are, the little checker didn't bag my milk, liter of diet coke, dishwasher detergent and something else(I forgot what it was now) But anyway several items that could have gone in a bag to make it easier to load and unload at home.
I start to lower the back hatch and realize the cart is in the way. I try to push it back up thinking if it senses my hand it will go back up. (That was what our Acura did, not the Expedition apparently!) All the sudden it is getting close to squashing Stella in the cart. I'm one handed still holding Sloane so moving that tank of a cart is work! I push it out of the way just in time. Oh and in case you are wondering, white trash guy is still yelling at her. They have the baby in the car and are loading groceries but I can still hear him saying all kinds of inappropriate things. I see a man standing by his car a little ways down who looks like he's just waiting for someone to come out of the store and I thought about saying something to him, but I didn't know what. Um can you come help this girl? Or get him to stop using terrible language in front of my daughters? But I just decided to get in my car and mind my own business. I just felt bad for this girl. If he is this bad in public what does he do at home? All I can do is pray that she is safe and that she gets help if she needs/wants it.
Get home and pull in. Now that we have the huge car that barely fits in the garage I cannot pull in and unload because then the back won't open. So I have to take one girl out of the carseat and inside the house then come back and get the other one so they won't run in the street. Took Sloane inside and went back to get Stella. When I come back with Stella, Sloane is climbing up on her highchair. Newest very dangerous trick. I run and grab her and try to distract them with something. I know I need to at least get the cold stuff out and Nick can unload the rest when he gets home. I go out and grab the handle to open the back. As soon as it lifts open out come the gallon of milk. $5.00 organic busted on the driveway. I grab it and try to maybe save it and it just keep spewing out from all kinds of cracks. I toss it in the grass, grab a couple things that have milk on it and run in. Girls are on top of the coffee table about to knock each other off. THey stop and look at me and Sloane says "Muh" (milk) Yes, I have milk all over me and some sprinkled on my face. I call Nick and he thinks it's wildly hilarious. I know it will be at some point, that's why I am writing about it, but in that moment and even now, it gets my blood pumping!
If you ever wondered what it was like to go to the grocery store with 2 very active toddlers, now you know. Usually if I have to take them, I take snacks or toys and they are fine. That day just wasn't our day. So now you see why I leave them at home every time I can when I shop or Nick and I go together so one can actually shop and the other mans the babies. I know one day I will read this and laugh and remember how crazy our life was but until then I just say a lot of prayers that God gets us all through the day. :)

It was bad, really BAD!

I have to blog about this because it is just one of those things that needs to be shared. (Well probably doesn't really need to be but I want to share anyway.) Years ago when I dreamed of being a Mom, I never dreamed of days like the last several we just lived. We ALL four got the worst stomach bug ever! It started Wednesday afternoon when Stella woke up crying during her nap. She had only been down about 45 minutes and usually naps for almost 2 hours so I went up to check on her. There was throw up in her bed! Oh no! I thought, that's weird. So I changed her and tried to get Sloane back to sleep and thought I would sneak out with Stella and deal with the puke later. Sloane didn't want any of it and they were both crying so I scooped them up and headed downstairs. Right as my feet hit the tile in the foyer, Stella starts throwing up again. Oh, it was bad! As bad as you can imagine. She's crying and trying to grab me because she's so scared and doesn't know what is going on, Sloane is just staring at her and I'm trying not to gag. I put Sloane in the playroom and grab some paper towels from the bathroom. I strip off her clothes and head to the kitchen to grab my phone and call Nick. In the process of trying to call him she throws up again!! Oh my word! What do I do?!?! So, he's in Freeport over an hour away. Seriously? Of all days! So I throw some paper towels on that mess and head to our bathroom to clean her up. Sloane follows me and thankfully is being good, just watching her poor sister in sympathy. I get Stella cleaned up and just kept her in a diaper. I made her stay in the bathroom in case she threw up again. I tried to call my mom and she wasn't available. I really didn't know what to do! It's one of those times as a Mom when you kinda start to panic because you haven't lived this part, or even thought about it! So I pray and get some composure and call my friend Karen. She often comes over after school (she's a teacher too, well literacy coach now, but teacher hours anyway!) and visits us so I thought maybe today she could come help me with Sloane since Nick wouldn't be home till 5:30 or 6:00. Luckily she answered when I called and came right away. What a friend! I mean really, I don't know what I would have done with out her that day! So, so thankful for you Karen!
The rest of the evening Stella kept throwing up every few minutes. I had called the pediatrician and they gave me a list of what to do and signs of when it was time to go to the E.R. When Nick got home finally Stella was really not doing well and I was getting scared. He called his Mom and she left church in Katy and got here as fast as she could. Luckily in the meantime, Stella settled down and fell asleep on Nick. Nick's Mom brought us dinner and pedialyte. Again, so, so thankful for her!! Stella started doing better and I was praising he Lord that maybe we wouldn't be taking her to the E.R. after all. Then, I heard it! Sloane had been asleep upstairs and all the sudden I heard her crying on the monitor. No! Not her, please, no throw up, but just as I got to the nursery door I heard her throwing up! Oh no! Right then I knew, this was going to be a rough one! This time it was on carpet! Ugh! My wonderful husband took care of that situation while I dealt with Sloane in our bathroom. Thank goodness Mamaw was here now to deal with Stella. We finally get somewhat settled, babies in pack n plays in our room, and Nick and I get into bed when all the sudden he is up again. Now it's hit him! Thursday morning was my turn!
It ended up hitting him and Stella the worst and Sloane and I skated by with a somewhat milder version, if there is such a thing!
We all felt pretty lousy from Wednesday night to Friday night. Saturday was better and I think today we are almost back to normal. I spent Friday night cleaning and sanitizing everything I could and a little more cleaning today. Hopefully we are over this and it doesn't come back to visit anytime soon!!!!!