Toddlered Out!

I just spent a couple hours shopping.

With Isabel.

Now I'm mentally and emotionally exhausted! Isabel's new thing is that she insists on not sitting in the shopping cart seat and very much wants to be in the basket part of the cart.

This is a problem.

If I were to allow her to sit in the basket then she is constantly grabbing things off the shelves or anything her little arms will allow her to reach, touch and grab. When she is not reaching, touching or grabbing she is trying to climb out of the cart. This is why I prefer her to sit (as tightly bucked as possible) in the front of the cart. This she does not like. And getting her to physically sit in the seat is nigh impossible these days anyway. In fact I think we make quite a spectacle! If you can imagine trying to get a cat in a toilet then you can pretty much understand what it is like for me to get Isabel to sit and get buckled into a shopping cart!

Today I had two stores to go to. That's all. Just two. Costco and Target. Now, Costco's basket is shallow compared to your typical grocery store carts, so having Isabel in the basket is not an option at this store for I fear she would fall out while reaching, touching and grabbing. The only thing that pacified her (after being forced into the seat and buckled) was to hold the boxes that were Caleb's birthday and Christmas presents. Good thing she has a limited understanding and vocabulary.....I think the presents will remain a secret this year, but next year I will have to do my shopping alone (gee, what a bummer). Once we reached the cashier and the boxes were on the conveyor belt, Isabel was twisting and climbing out of her seat. I had no choice but to hold her (this too is no joy, for either of us).

Next stop, Target. This time I allowed her to be in the basket part of the cart. Once down in the bowels of the toy isles I let her grab a toy to keep her entertained (it was removed/returned before leaving that section). Again, I'm not surprised, by the time we reached the cashier she was ready to be out. It is difficult to keep her in the cart, not to grab anything off the conveyor belt AND pay. While in the midst of this juggling act I missed that one of the items I purchased had a higher price than I thought (by about thirty bucks!). I can't concentrate with Isabel and the whole cart issue thing going on! Now I have to return the high-priced item. I think I'll go at night, by myself! I'll brave the crowded stores with horrendous lines for the chance to be 'alone' while shopping.

But for now, I'm toddlered out and ready for an empty nest. *sighs and walks toward the bedroom to take a long, much deserved, nap*