All Kinds of Cranky Up In Here

Warning: obnoxiously long post

I'm not one to get cranky. I just usually wake up happy and I choose to be in a good mood, if I can. Not every day, obviously, but most. And, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt...because you just never know what is going on in someone else's life. My mother-in-law does this by making up stories about strangers she sees...

"Bless her heart...she's probably had a bad day." Or, "he probably only has his kids on the weekend." Or, "look at that Grandma with those little kids...she's probably having to raise them because something happened to the parents and even tho she's in bad health, she took in the grandkids and she is just trying to do her best. I'll smile at her and let her know that it'll be okay."

This is what I live with...and now it's what goes on inside my head. I'm turning into her.

BUT YESTERDAY.

I headed to the store for a few grocery items...AND to get my Operation Christmas Child stuff. I left Clark at the house because SATURDAY. I went first to Wal-Mart. I don't typically shop there for groceries. Okay...ANY MORE. I used to...until I discovered the blessing that is KROGER when we moved here. Plus, Joshua has determined that Kroger is better than Wal-Mart because their "nanners" are "more bigger," and their buggies aren't "janky." Whatever that means to you. To me it means that Joshua and I go to Kroger.

But I didn't want to traipse all over town in the rain, and Joshua wasn't here, so I decided that Wal-Mart would be the best place to go to pick up everything.

WRONG.

Because who doesn't have Dole Pineapple Juice in the can? My Wal-Mart doesn't, that's who.

And, I was sorely disappointed in the selection of things for my OCC box. Things that I usually get...I couldn't find. Little fun bracelets and colorful hair things and small, soft dolls that aren't $12.97 THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I don't give crap to the poor, like we've all read about and I agree with. I really do try to choose things that I would and I HAVE given to my own children. But where are the little nerf-like footballs? The squishy balls that light up when you throw them? Small etch-a-sketches? Sets of those long mardi-gras type beads for little girls? My daughter loved those when she was little. Could not find any of these things at my WM.

So, as much as I hated to...after I left WM, I stopped at Dollar Tree. Actually, the reason I stopped is that I noticed a young mom with two girls, who had been shopping in the same areas I was at WM...walking into Dollar Tree with a young child and a BABY ON HER HIP. And I thought, "if she can shop at two stores with two kids on a rainy, cloudy day...then so can I."

Not a fan of the Dollar Tree's selection, either, but I was blessed by going there. I was on one aisle and I could hear a commotion on the other aisle. Not bad...just lots of excited little kid voices. And I heard a mom say in her kind voice, "okay, listen...too many people are talking at the same time. One at a time, please."

Of course, I had to check this out. I went to the next aisle, and there was a mom and 4 little girls. The girls were all talking at once. One of the little girls said, "we are get-tin thum toy-ees for da kids who don't have no toy-ees."

I about died at the cuteness.

And the mom said, "yes, we are...and what do you think they would like better? A tamborine or maracas?" And the one little girl said, "tam-boo-WEEEEN." And the other 3 girls said, "maracas!"

For the record, I would've gotten the tam-boo-WEEEEN, just to hear the little girl say it again.

Listen, I have been there, and sometimes it's hard to have that kind, calm voice when you have a list and are trying to get something done while teaching your children that it is better to give than to receive. It's a LOT easier to shop by myself, but when our 4 kids were growing up and at home...I took all 4 of them with me to the store and let them help pick out items for our OCC boxes. And we got 4 boxes, because we have 4 kids. This morning, I did it all on my own, and, for a minute, I kind of lost the perspective of what it's all about. It's meant to be a joy! And hearing the excitement in those little voices blessed me so much!

At this point, I probably should stop writing and call 'er done, but I need to just keep it real.

I picked up a few more things there, and drove home, feeling content with my newly re-charged attitude. But then, when I got home and started unloading my vehicle...I couldn't get in the door to my house. I had left the door that goes from our garage to inside our house...unlocked on purpose...because the garage door was DOWN and I thought it would be safe.

But do you know what is super fun? Having arms loaded down with grocery bags, and having to put them all down and use the KEY to get in...and then finding out that our FRONT DOOR, the one that leads outside to the world, was left unlocked by Clark when he went out that way...and realizing that I'm coming into an empty, unlocked house.

Lost that lovin' feelin' real quick.

And do you know what else is super fun? Finding the box of Pillsbury "Frozen" themed cookies with the purple heart in the middle...in a bag that you didn't unpack because it was filled with toys and so you thought it could wait until later.

Do you organize your buggy items as you put them out on the conveyor belt thing at the store? If you don't, stop reading right now because the rest of this is going to make me look like a lunatic.

I am not organized in very many areas of my life, but I've always unloaded my buggy in a very specific way. All the boxed goods, all the cans/jars, all the cold items, the freezer stuff, then bread, chips, eggs, bananas. It just makes it so easy when you get home, especially if you are in a hurry or have somewhere else to be. You can just grab the bags that need to be refrigerated, and leave the rest for later.

This system works out great until someone packs need-to-be-refrigerated "Frozen" themed cookies into a bag with crayons and toothbrushes...and you don't find them until later. Much later.

Argh.

I told Clark that I was feeling like the "before" guy on the Snicker's commercials. You know, "you're not you when you're hungry."

I took some time and thanked God for being able to drive to a store for food anytime I want...for the blessing of Jim's job that provides our family with income to meet our needs...for our 4 children and their spouses and friends.

And now, if you need me, I will be scavenging through our left-over Halloween candy...looking for a Snicker's bar.

"...in Your presence is abundant joy..." Psalm 16:11