SHOPPING AT SAM'S WITH THE MUNCHKINS

AFTER A ROUSING DAY OF OUTLET MALL MANIA, I DECIDED TO TONE IT DOWN A BIT AND JUST GO TO SAM'S TO GET A FEW THINGS TO SUPPLEMENT THE HOUSEHOLD. MIND YOU, AARON HAD FULLY STOCKED THE CUPBOARDS, BUT I WANTED TO HELP OUT, SO SISSY AND I DECIDED TO TAKE ALL OF THE CHILDREN AND GO TO SAM'S WHILE SARAH DID SOME TUTORING. FIRST OF ALL, WE NEEDED LUNCH. BY THE WAY, THIS WAS THE SAME DAY THAT WE WERE ACCOSTED BY A RATTLESNAKE-THAT HAVING HAPPENED IN THE LATE MORNING, AND SAM'S AFTER THAT. EVERYONE WAS HUNGRY, AND WE DECIDED THAT PIZZA WAS THE ANSWER. I HAD FINALLY WISED UP AND DECIDED TO GET A MOTORIZED CART TO GIVE MY FEET A BREAK. THE CHILDREN THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH ME, AND MADE COMMENTS LIKE, "NANA, ARE YOU OLD NOW? WHAT IF SOMEONE WHO IS CRIPPLED COMES IN AND NEEDS A CART? IS THAT CART GOING TO CARRY YOU? GEE, YOU ARE SURE GOING SLOW! CAN I RIDE TOO? CAN I RIDE IN THE BASKET? CAN I DRIVE THE CART FOR YOU? ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH US?" AND ON AND ON. EVERYONE WITHING HEARING RANGE WAS SMILING AND A FEW LAUGHING OUTRIGHT, AND FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO HAVE MISERABLE FEET- BUT THEN I DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO ENJOY MYSELF, AND TO HECK WITH IT. SO, TO THE SNACK BAR. YOU CAN'T GET A CART CLOSE TO THE SNACK BAR, SO ELI AND BEN DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ORDER THE PIZZA. "GET PEPPERONI! NO, GET SAUSAGE! WAIT, NANA CAN'T HAVE MEAT, GET CHEESE! I DON'T WANT CHEESE! I DO, I DO!(JACOB). NANA WANTS A VEGGIE! SHE CAN'T EAT A WHOLE VEGGIE, AND I AM NOT GOING TO HELP HER!" BY NOW THE LINE IS GETTING LONGER AND THE CUSTOMERS DON'T CARE WHAT KIND OF PIZZA WE GET AS LONG AS WE JUST GET IT. WE FINALLY DECIDE ON CHEESE AND EVERYONE IS HAPPY. (EVERYONE EXCEPT THE LINE OF CUSTOMERS, THEY ARE GETTING CRABBY.) THE PIZZA IS FINALLY READY, WE SLICE AND SERVE, AND IMMEDIATELY JACOB DROPS HIS ON THE FLOOR. "FIVE SECOND RULE!" SHOUTS ELI, AND GRABS IT UP OFF THE FLOOR. "THAT DON'T COUNT WHEN YOU ARE IN A PLACE WHERE THE FLOOR IS ALWAYS DIRTY!" SAYS JACOB. (THE CLEAN-UP MAN IS RIGHT BEHIND HIM, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON HIS FACE.) BEN ADVISES JACOB TO "JUST BLOW IT OFF, IT IS FINE", AND JACOB LOOKS STRICKEN. I TOSS THE OFFENDING SLICE AND OFFER ONE OF MINE. "GREAT, NOW NANA IS GOING TO STARVE!" SAYS BEN. ELI QUICKLY ASSURES BEN THAT "NANA IS NEVER GOING TO STARVE, THAT IS WHY HEAVENLY FATHER GAVE US SO MUCH OF HER". FINALLY, FINALLY, WE HAVE FINISHED LUNCH. I PROMISED THE KIDS THAT EACH OF THEM COULD HAVE A BOOK. I SHOULD HAVE FACTORED IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT 5 KIDS WOULD TAKE TO EACH CHOOSE A BOOK. THE AFTERNOON IS WEARING ON, AND I MUST ADMIT, MAYBE MY PATIENCE JUST A BIT AS WELL. BOOKS ARE CHOSEN AND WE MOVE ON. TO CLOTHING, TO SOCKS TO TENNIS SHOES TO JEANS. IT REMINDED ME OF WHEN MY KIDS WERE SMALL- NOTHING CHANGES DOES IT? THEN, AT LAST, WE ARE READY TO GO AND GET THE "FEW" THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WE NEEDED. OPINIONS ARE FLYING, "GET THE COOKIES, NO, NOT COOKIES, CUPCAKES! GET CHEETOS, I DON'T WANT CHEETOS, I WANT FRITOS, I WANT POTATO CHIPS! NANA, ALI IS CRYING, SHE DOESN'T WANT CHIPS!" YES, NOTHING CHANGES OVER TIME AT ALL. TO SOLVE THE DILEMMA, I BUY A BAG OF FRITOS, A BAG OF CHEETOS AND A BAG OF CHIPS. ALI DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY IF SHE DOESN'T WANT ANY. OH, AND COOKIES AND CUPCAKES. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME ANYWAY? I WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT FOR MY CHILDREN! FINALLY, I GO AND GET THE FRUIT THAT I CAME FOR. SINCE I HAVE ENDULGED EVERYONE ELSE, I SPLURGED ON MYSELF. CHERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, KIWIS, PEACHES, GRAPES AND STRAWBERRIES. I FIGURE WITH 9 PEOPLE TO FEED, THE PRODUCE WILL NOT SPOIL. AS I GO TO CHECK OUT, I NOTICE THAT BEN IS LOOKING VERY UNHAPPY. HE IS SEVEN YEARS OLD, AND SHOULD NOT LOOK SO CONCERNED. I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS WRONG, AND HE ASKED MY NERVOUSLY HOW I WAS GOING TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING. I HUGGED HIM AND TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY, THAT HEAVENLY FATHER HAD BLESSED ME SO THAT I COULD ENJOY PAYING FOR THE THINGS WE HAD CHOSEN. HE BRIGHTENED UP AND FELT MUCH BETTER. ELI TOLD HIM THAT NANA ALWAYS HAD WHAT SHE NEEDED, AND THAT SHE LOVED TO SHARE. I LOVE MY GRANDSONS. WE LOADED THE VAN, AND DROVE HOME. WE WERE ALL TIRED, FULL OF PIZZA AND READY TO RELAX. WE HAD ANOTHER EVENING OF PLAY IN THE BACK YARD.
I FORGOT TO MENTION, THAT WHEN I GO TO VISIT THE GRANDCHILDREN, WE ALWAYS HAVE AN "EVERYBODY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY". THIS IS BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS GET TO BE TOGETHER FOR EACH BIRTHDAY, AND SO WE HAVE ONE FOR EVERYONE WHEN WE ARE ALL TOGETHER. AS THE CHILDREN PLAYED UNDER THE MOONLIGHT, THE GROWNUPS PLANNED THE PARTY. IT WAS GOING TO BE ON SATURDAY, SO THAT PEANUT COULD BE THERE AS SHE WAS FLYING IN TO DRIVE HOME WITH US.
THE PARTY IS SIMPLE. WE DRAW NAMES FOR GIFT GIVING. WE MAKE CUPCAKES, DECORATE THEM AND GO TO THE DOLLAR STORE. EVERYONE GETS TO SPEND THREE DOLLARS ON THE NAME THEY HAVE CHOSEN, (SNEAKING AROUND SO THAT THE RECIPIENT WILL BE SURPRISED) AND THEN THE ITEMS ARE TAKEN TO THE FRONT OF THE STORE SO THAT NANA CAN BUY THEM. IN THE MEANWHILE, NANA HAS PICKED OUT THE PLATES, NAPKINS, BALLOONS, TABLE CLOTH, WRAPPING PAPER AND CUPS FOR THE PARTY. WE GO HOME, THE KIDS PLAY AND NANA WRAPS ALL OF THE GIFTS. AFTER SUPPER WHICH IS SERVED ON A DECORATED TABLE, WE OPEN THE GIFTS AND HAVE THE CUPCAKES. IT IS SO MUCH FUN, AND SO INEXPENSIVE. IT IS A WONDERFUL TRADITION IN OUR FAMILY.
WE HAVE TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL SATURDAY, AND THE NEXT DAY IS THURSDAY, WHICH IS THE DAY WE HAVE CHOSEN TO GO TO CARLSBAD CAVERNS. I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THAT TOMORROW. TILL THEN, LOVE, NANASEE