Shopping with Kids

It is summer, and that means I get to spend lots of fun quality time with my beautiful, wonderful kids.  This week alone, we went to a rodeo, on a long hike, swimming, and made the ever-popular annual Lagoon trip (to be blogged later, hopefully). Unfortunately, these same fun, amazing children that I love require a whole lot of stuff to function each and every day.  They use up unbelievable amounts of food (I am looking at you, Dax), beverages, toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc. etc. times infinity.

I am very blessed to live near a place that I can waltz into and pick up everything I need.  I speak of my beloved Target, where I can get milk and corn dogs, nail polish and shoes all at the same place.  Target, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways....

But guys, lately, I actually DREAD going to Target.  I dread it on the same level as getting a tooth filled or paying property taxes.  Why?  Because I have drag all three kids along with me.  I don't mind bringing one kid along, and even two kids is doable.  But for some reason, when all three kids are on a Target run with me, it turns into the chore of chores.  Are you with me?  I know there are moms out there who can do it with four or five kids and not break a sweat, and they are my heroes because I seriously struggle sometimes.  Here are some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind or lips at Target over the last few weeks:

Why is it that when I stop the car and announce, "We're here!  Let's go!" at least one kid just sits in the car, seat belt still buckled, staring into space like they have no idea what they are supposed to do next.  

"Staybymeintheparkinglot, staybymeintheparkinglot, STAYBYMEINTHEPARKINGLOT!!"

How many times are Cora and Daxton going to nearly tip over the cart before they remember that they can't stand on the same side??  So far we are at a 117 and counting....

"Sure Arden, you can push the cart.  Watch out for that rack!  Watch out for that wall!  Look out for that kid!  Okay, can I please push for a while?"

"No, we aren't done yet.  No, we aren't done yet.  No, we aren't done yet."

"Arden, please don't walk right in front of the cart, I am going to run over you."

"No, you can't have that today.  No, you can't have that today.  No, you can't have that today."

"Staybymeinthestore, staybymeinthestore, staybymeinthestore!  Come back here!  No, you can't have that."

"Because it isn't your birthday.  Because it isn't good for you.  Because it costs too much. Because I said no!"

"Arden, my love, please don't walk right in front of the cart."

"No, we aren't done yet.  No, we aren't done yet.  No, we aren't done yet."

118, 119, 120..."Dax, please move to the other side of the cart!"

Why is it that the kids only have to go to the bathroom when we are at the part of the store that is the farthest possible point from the bathroom?

"Sorry, we aren't getting those.  Sorry, we aren't getting those.  Sorry, we aren't getting those."

Hey, they are actually being pretty quiet right now....wait....where the heck is Dax?

"I KNOW there was a free sample, but that doesn't mean you can run halfway across the store without telling me!"

"Oh, I am so sorry I ran over your foot Arden!  Are you okay?  Please don't walk right in front of the cart!"

"No, we AREN'T done yet!" (Ohhhh I wiiiish we were!)

"Dax, get BACK here and put your hand on the cart.  Don't let go of the cart for the rest of the time."

121...122...123..."Cora, move to the other side of the cart, please?!?"

"NO, we aren't getting that, sorry.  No, we aren't getting that.  Nonononononooo."

Do I really need the rest of this stuff on my list???  Naaaaah. 

"Okay, okay!  Let's check out, yay!  Sorry, Dax, we can't go to #7 checkout.  Because it is closed.  See, that number isn't lit up.  I know 7 is your favorite number.  No, I can't ask them to open it up, sorry."

"No, we aren't getting any candy bars.  No, no ring pops either.  No, Cor, you can't have that little Cinderella toy (that some cruel genius put right next to the check out stand when they knew my exhaustion would be close to overriding my resolve to not add to the junk in the playroom.)  Because it isn't your birthday and it costs too much and I SAID SO.  If one more person asks me for one more thing they are going to time-out."

Okay, am I sounding like the meanest mom ever or what?  Is everyone looking at me and thinking how mean I am?  Prolly.

Oh no, I am right in the middle of checking out, and I didn't get [XXXinsert main reason for going to store hereXXX]!  Arrrggghhh!

Holy cow, did I really spend that much!?!  But according to the kids, I didn't buy anything good!

"Staybymeintheparkinglot.  Staybymeintheparkinglot!  STAYBYMEINTHEPARKINGLOT!!"

Whew!  I hope this is enough food to last for the rest of the summer because I am NOT doing that again EVER.

I get to do it again tomorrow.   I am sure it will be fine, right?  Wish me luck! :)

Cabin fever

I am really slacking on the blog.  Apologies.  These kids are keeping me hopping this summer.  And my house is a mess, ALL the time.  I am thinking I am going to have to do fall cleaning in addition to spring cleaning because, wow.  Having the kids home all day sure adds to the wear and tear more than I remember. 

We have been heading to the cabin most weekends, since, well, that is the only vacation we are doing this year, so we might as well make the most of it, right?  This is just going to be a hodge podge of a whole bunch of weekends since they are all kind of blurring even to me.  

We have tried out the pool a bunch of times.  Dax made best friends with a couple of kids and spent about an hour doing group cannonballs with them.  Even Arden joined in on a few:

We have had the waverunners out quite a few times.  Arden is a CRAZY driver and loves to go as fast as she can!  Cora likes to go around in lots and lots of circles.

One weekend in June we came up and my dad and I ran the Bear Lake half marathon, which was beautiful, but VERY windy.  It stayed windy and cold all weekend, so we took the kids up to Minnetonka Cave.  

They loved it!  It was fun to go back, I haven't been in there since I was a kid.  They had all the things I remembered...

And a few things that I didn't...like BATS!  This one we got really close to, but he was fast asleep and didn't look at the camera at all.

All the rain that weekend did bring along with it another beautiful benefit:

Sandcastles....we dig 'em:

The flowers were out during June, and Preston started building us a fire pit (propane, since we aren't allowed to have regular fire pits lest we burn every one's cabin down):

Here is it at the beginning...

Then we cleared away some weeds and built a little wall in the hill that also serves as a bench (when I saw WE, I mean Preston and my dad.)  It is even funner with friends!:

More swimming....

 We have been eating more than our fair share of burgers and famous raspberry shakes...

And lots and lots of more beach...

Arden is generally upside down a good portion of the time, because, you know, that is just how Arden rolls.

We have seen deer and moose in our yard too...but haven't been able to get a good picture.  Last weekend we saw a mother moose with her baby right out the kitchen window...but by the time Preston ran for the camera they heard all the kids screaming and took off.  Oh well.

We will be seeing you soon Bear Lake!

Summertime Shenanigans

I have accepted the fact that I am never going to find the time to post on this blog as many things as I think I should.  Life in the summer seems busier than I thought.  Not that I get much done, quite the opposite.  I can't seem to get anything done.  But somehow I don't seem to have any time to blog.  

Anyway, here are some of the things that have been keeping us busy.  We did swimming lessons in June. The kids all passed their levels and are getting better and better!  Arden is a really good swimmer now, and it is nice not to have to worry about her when we are at the pool.

The other two still aren't quite there yet, but they are improving.  Here is Cora, practicing her back float. Cora loves to swim, and she prefers swimming with her head UNDER the water, which is the opposite of the other two.  She can't go very far though, so I have to keep an eye on her.

Dax has improved a lot, and can even dive down and get things off the bottom of the pool in 5 feet of water. He has to have his Spider Man goggles though.  He doesn't like to put his head under without his goggles.

There is a new food cart nearby for the summer called "Dude's Food."  They have giant corn dogs there, and all manner of fried things (like fried Oreos, fried caramel apples, etc.  Healthy!).  I took the kids there for lunch a couple of weeks ago, and we ate on their school bus they have converted into a seating area because it was fun.

Dax, who is a corn dog connoisseur, is SUPER excited about the size of his dog.

They were so big the girls had to split one, but Dax took his down by himself, no problem.  The corn dogs were pretty good, but kids enjoyed the sticks inside the most.  They were just the right size to be magic wands.  We had watched some Harry Potter at the cabin the week before, so the kids were yelling "Expelliarmus!" and "Wingardium Leviosa!" at each other all during lunch.

Dax also used his to make sure no one tried to steal his dog:

We made it to a Bees game on a beautiful summers night.  Ahhhh, I love it.

We went to see "How to Train Your Dragon II" and watched the fountains at Station Park.

Someday it would be fun to actually do some shopping there.  I don't "go shopping" anymore though, I just get all my clothes online.  The last time I was in a dressing room, it was many years ago and Cora was stapped into the "sit-n-stand" stroller and Dax was standing on the back.  Dax waited for the moment that I was the most undressed to bolt under the door and out of the dressing room.  I dressed as fast as I could and chased him down pretty quick, but it kind of soured me on the whole shopping with kids thing.  Maybe someday....

And we have been picking a lot of raspberries off our little patch in the backyard.  Raspberries are my favorite!

We have also been doing the usual summertime stuff.  The kids have been doing some summer classes down at the park, we have been going to our neighborhood park days every week.  Arden has been taking piano lessons (she doesn't like to practice), and we are still doing gymnastics.  I am also trying to get the kids to do their chores each day before they can play with their friends, which makes me the meanest mom ever, right?  Anyway, it takes up a lot of my time (clean your room...clean your room....is your room clean?...then clean your room.)

Ah, the joys and sorrows of summertime.  But mostly joys :-)

My Favorite Time of Day...

Ahhhhhhh...

It is the end of a long summer day.

There is a beautiful sunset.  

I have a Diet Coke.  

It is wonderfully quiet.  

The kids are asleep.  

Well, they probably aren't asleep, but they are in their beds!  Well maybe not IN their beds, but at least they are in their rooms.  I hope they are in their rooms.  Hmmmm.  Now that I think about it, can I hear little footsteps running around in there?  Grrrarfggghhhhh.....Better go check.

But it was fun for a minute.