We are Never Ever Ever Going Grocery Shopping!

This weekend, we had a trip to the grocery store for the record books with our 20 month old daughter. Since then, I've had a little tune in my head and feel the urge to share it with every overworked, overtired, parent just trying to get through the day with a very strong willed child in tow!

If you live under a rock and are not familiar with the orginal song, you can find the lyrics that inspired this here: http://bit.ly/SfNWDW

We are Never Ever Ever Going Grocery Shopping...together.

(adapted from Taylor Swift's "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together")

I remember when you freaked out - the first time.

Saying this is what I want, I want it now, gimme.
We hadn't been inside the store 5 minutes
When you said you needed a toy - what?

Then you come around again and say -
Momma, I'm sorry and I swear I will behave.
Trust me, remember how that lasted for an aisle?
I say - we don't need it, we argue, you cry, I love you.
 
Oooh we need something for dinner tonight
But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
You go talk to the baker
Talk to the deli-guy
Talk to me
But we are never ever ever going grocery shopping together

Like ever...

I'm really gonna miss your whining fits
And me, falling for them screaming them I'm right
And you, will hide away behind a Cheez-it display,
eyeing some mom that's much cooler than I.

Oooh we need something for dinner tonight

But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
You go talk to the manager
Talk to that angry guy
Talk to me
But we are never ever ever going grocery shopping

I used to think, that we were so much better than that

And I used to say, my kid would never....

[spoken] 

Hun, she's scaring old ladies over a pack of oeros

and she's like "Momma, you're pretty - please?"
And I'm like, I'm just, I mean this is exhausting, you know?
We are ever ever going grocery shopping together, like ever.

We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together

We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
You go talk to your father
Talk to him...
Oh yeah, I called him
Because we are never ever ever going grocery shopping

-------

Sing it loud and proud mommas! I know I'm not the only one ;)

 

We may have been robbed, but I don't care

Right now, my house is a mess. It's possible we were robbed but I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between an actual ransacking of the place or the simple trail of happiness my kids have left behind. I should not be sitting on my couch, under my favorite blanket, watching a crime show that will probably freak me out the rest of the day, while listening to my neighbor mow the lawn.

My kitchen is a mess.

The bathroom needs to be cleaned.

Laundry needs to be folded.

The floors could use some serious attention.

I should shower, do my hair, and my nails. I'm heading out for my husband's birthday dinner tonight. We have a sitter all lined up (thanks grandma and grandpa!) so I'll be getting a hot meal without any crayons located anywhere on, or under, the table.
But I declared that today, Momma was taking a break. A glorious 2-2 1/2 hour break during naptime. I have a sweet embroidery project I've been wanting to dig into (my eyes needed a break after 45 minutes!). I have a list of possible books to read that I wanted to look into further. New recipes I wanted to find. I missed my blanket, my creepy shows, and the mere silence of being alone with my thoughts. For the duration of one nap, I'm doing precisely what I want to.
The dishes will still be there.
The tub can be scrubbed in the morning.
Another spin in the dryer never hurt laundry.

The floors shall be swept tomorrow.

The ransacked look around us is what I'm calling "Memory Chic". My kids play hard, laugh hard, and love hard. This house and the mother sitting in it are both wearing the evidence of this proudly. So today, instead of trying to "fix" what they've created, I'm "fixing" myself and feeding my soul to great a sweet little fresh-from-nap sleepy eyed girl with the same level of happy, devoted, love that greets me every day.

Be selfish moms. Kick back, relax, and recharge. Your kids will remember the giggles, hugs, and snuggles  much more than they'll ever recall your preparations for a Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot that will probably never happen.

Housework is temporary, childhood memories are forever.

Forget the paycheck, focus on the peoplecheck.

Another day another dollar at the day job. I feel like the “norm” in my work place, and many others, in this current economic climate is to complain about work and the conditions we work for. I will not. There are definitely things I would love to improve at my workplace (most notably, I need more digits on my pay checks!) but I’ve been thinking lately about all the non-monetary things that make this job so great to me.

I work around 45 hours per week. And I commute 1 hour each way to get to this office. I have to pay for daycare for a 1 year old and some before school care for a 6 year old.  The first 16 hours of my work week cover the “expenses” of me getting here to work. I won’t begin bringing my lunches and health insurance costs into this – my husband does work so it’s not like I am completely solo here.

Nonetheless, it’s depressing when I look at it like that. Especially when I think of how long I am away from my home and how badly I long to take care of my children, house, and husband better. Just because I want to dominate the working world does not mean I don’t want to be a domestic goddess as well, after all. I also know, thanks to the number of working moms available to commiserate with in the world, that I am not alone in this.

I urge us all to stop for a moment and look around though. Times are tough. We all want more money and I promise you our companies do too. Maybe they’d share if they got it, maybe they wouldn’t; but there are very few companies that are bringing in what they feel they “should”. They’re in the same boat as us. What we need to lean on now is the “personal paycheck” and not the paper one.

On my birthday, cupcakes and a card appeared on my desk. Signed by everyone in the office and some emails from off-site accounts poured in also. I did not tell anyone it was my birthday, I do not make it a habit to “friend” co-workers on social sites (I DO need vent some!), but my company posts our birthdays every month to keep us all engaged. When my children are sick, my office set me up with a remote desk top so I can work from home to preserve personal days and vacation time. They could tell me I’m on my own, deal with it. My schedule right now is varied for allergy treatments for my son – not only does the boss let me have the time but he checks in from time to time to see how the treatments are going. My boss and co-workers know my husband’s name, my children, and some of the big things happening. They ask for updates and offer support. My son sold over $300 for his school fundraiser in this office. I did no selling, I just set the form on my desk and they passed it around. He got the prize he wanted :)

They rolled out a new recognition system that’s like Facebook. We can post “good job” notes on people’s walls. The grumbling has already started about the low pay and wanting more tangible goods but I guess I do not agree. Would a key chain make the work place better? No. But the hot cocoa, Dunkin Donuts coffee, teas, and other drinks we’re granted do. Would another 15 cents an hour really make me happier? Honestly, I probably wouldn’t even notice it. But when I worked late one night during a snow storm and the VP of Operations brushed my car off in the cold and dark so I wouldn’t have to – that definitely made me happier.

Stop focusing on what you don’t have and be thankful for what you do. A paycheck, some cupcakes, and a little appreciation for a job well done.