this mothering thing

I really outdid myself this time, my friends.

After putting off a big ol' mega-shopping trip to Sam's for way too long,

I finally talked myself into going this morning.

Being that I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, I figured perhaps

I should have a few things on-hand for the people to eat.

(I'm the most gracious hostess you'll ever meet.)

(Just ask me.)

Anyway, part of my angst of going shopping (apart from the fact that I hate leaving my compound),

is hauling my little kids with me, knowing that a certain Mr. Someone is quite volatile.

I have a yet-to-be-figured-out amount of time before he loses all patience and

melts into a puddle on the floor.

And that's when I fall to the floor flailing.

It's a whole big mess and quite frankly, Lucy is sick and tired of it.

So anyway.

I had a grand idea.

From my master-list of things to buy,

I broke it down into two smaller lists:

Lucy's Shopping List

Isaiah's Shopping List

And gave it to them as we entered the store.

They were ECSTATIC!

Honesty, you would have thought I had just given them each a puppy & a pony.

Not even kidding.

They were large and seemingly in-charge!!

They carefully followed their lists 

(and btw, I strategically  put their lists together, making sure to put words that would teach them something),

crossing off their items as we went along.

And Lucy quickly turned it into a contest, saying that whoever got their items

crossed off first, would win.

She is her mother's daughter, I tell ya.

It worked so brilliantly, I amaze myself.

They begggged me to do it again sometime.

Yesssssssss!

After six children, I'm starting to figure this mothering thing out.