i took a big leap a couple weeks ago. i took the kiddos shopping sans hubby or the boy. this is a big deal for me. a new mama milestone.
this may not seem to be a big deal, but with toddler twins, any shopping trip is an event. it's easy to corral a singleton in a shopping cart; however, most carts are built for one child, not two. while you can put one child in the basket and one in the seat, this is not a safe thing to do. so for the past 2 years, i did shopping trips by myself with the kiddos home with hubby or my parents. the few shopping trips they went on, hubby and i used two carts with a kiddo in each seat.
being a MOM can be isolating. becos i planned my shopping trips ahead of time, so someone could watch the kiddos, i didn't go out much. at all, really. getting the kiddos in and out of their car seats, juggling a diaper bag, purse, shopping bags and cups - just thinking about it makes me tired. do all for multiple stores - it's any wonder it's easier to plan solo trips.
this summer the boy is going to the library for its summer program, 3 days a week. monday's sessions are 2 hours long. the first week we went, i walked the kiddos around the park for 2 hours. that night we had 2 hours of bible school. let's just say i fell asleep early that night, becos i was exhausted.
the next week hubby and i were going to celtic fling, and i needed to pick up a few things for the trip. i decided to take the kids to aldi's and target. aldi's has large carts with 2 seats. i wish all stores had carts like this:
i remembered that target had large carts with forward facing seats. as luck had it, one of these carts was in the corral near the car, and i snatched it up. i wasn't happy that the seatbelts weren't functional (one belt strap was cut off) but the kiddos sat really good for me. the cart is a PITA to drive, but a godsend for the kiddos:
giant has those carts that look like a truck or car. the kids sit down below and "pretend to drive". i hated these carts when the boy was little, and it got to the point that i told him "outgrew" them or said that "it was already being used" (even tho it was sitting by the door). still hate steering these carts, but i'm grateful that i can use them with the kiddos.
i had a challenge for me when i took the kiddos to michaels to get jump rings and t-pins for making stitch markers. they have tiny carts. i figured the kiddos could sit in the basket for the couple minutes while i picked up supplies and paid:
and a trip to weis - the kiddos were really good here too:
i'll probably still take solo trips to the store, when mom's knee is back to full function. but it's a good feeling knowing that i can take the kiddos on errands.
this may not seem to be a big deal, but with toddler twins, any shopping trip is an event. it's easy to corral a singleton in a shopping cart; however, most carts are built for one child, not two. while you can put one child in the basket and one in the seat, this is not a safe thing to do. so for the past 2 years, i did shopping trips by myself with the kiddos home with hubby or my parents. the few shopping trips they went on, hubby and i used two carts with a kiddo in each seat.
being a MOM can be isolating. becos i planned my shopping trips ahead of time, so someone could watch the kiddos, i didn't go out much. at all, really. getting the kiddos in and out of their car seats, juggling a diaper bag, purse, shopping bags and cups - just thinking about it makes me tired. do all for multiple stores - it's any wonder it's easier to plan solo trips.
this summer the boy is going to the library for its summer program, 3 days a week. monday's sessions are 2 hours long. the first week we went, i walked the kiddos around the park for 2 hours. that night we had 2 hours of bible school. let's just say i fell asleep early that night, becos i was exhausted.
the next week hubby and i were going to celtic fling, and i needed to pick up a few things for the trip. i decided to take the kids to aldi's and target. aldi's has large carts with 2 seats. i wish all stores had carts like this:
i remembered that target had large carts with forward facing seats. as luck had it, one of these carts was in the corral near the car, and i snatched it up. i wasn't happy that the seatbelts weren't functional (one belt strap was cut off) but the kiddos sat really good for me. the cart is a PITA to drive, but a godsend for the kiddos:
giant has those carts that look like a truck or car. the kids sit down below and "pretend to drive". i hated these carts when the boy was little, and it got to the point that i told him "outgrew" them or said that "it was already being used" (even tho it was sitting by the door). still hate steering these carts, but i'm grateful that i can use them with the kiddos.
i had a challenge for me when i took the kiddos to michaels to get jump rings and t-pins for making stitch markers. they have tiny carts. i figured the kiddos could sit in the basket for the couple minutes while i picked up supplies and paid:
and a trip to weis - the kiddos were really good here too:
i'll probably still take solo trips to the store, when mom's knee is back to full function. but it's a good feeling knowing that i can take the kiddos on errands.
You go mama! Taking the kids shopping is indeed a huge milestone! You are awesome and if I saw you in the aisle I would have told you so! Love the new look on your blog.
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