I SHOP ALONE!

That's my new motto. The few times that I have taken the kids into a store lately, they have behaved so badly that I resolve to avoid taking them shopping with me again. I work several evenings during the week, so I've started doing grocery shopping after work when I'm alone. Whew, it's SO MUCH easier to do it that way. I love my kids, but I DO NOT like shopping with them.

I think that when the kids were younger and cried in the store, people would smile and say "Aw...poor little baby". The attitude changes drastically when you have a screaming 4 year old or 3 year old. I get lots of evil looks, and it's just not worth it. I've had my 4 year old throw herself down on the floor in a temper tantrum and people come running to stare. It's so weird. I don't know why my kids are so bad in the store. I'm usually pretty patient with the kids, but the store situation is too out of control for me... so they won't get that privilege with me any more. I SHOP ALONE!

Sometimes They Get Along!

I was so happy two days ago when I observed my kids playing a computer game together. MG was patiently teaching MB how to play the "Land Before Time" dinosaur game. They did this for about an hour. They've been bickering quite a bit lately, so it this was a nice break from that.

I think that it's been difficult because the cold weather is keeping us inside more. Sometimes I wonder if we should move somewhere warmer. I really don't like the cold. I do have more problems with depression in the Winter months. Maybe when the kids are a little older, we can learn how to snow shoe or something. I don't think that I want to learn to ski at this point, but snow shoeing sounds fun and like something we could do.

Another thing that's made it harder to find things to do is the money situation. We have to choose free things to do. The library programs are about the only free event that we can do around here. Maybe there's something else that I'm not thinking of.

We've got a few personal issues going on too. Crap at work. Also a close family member is having increased health problems... cancer. :0( It's a good thing that I started this post with the positive. We really did have a good Christmas, and I am grateful for my beautiful children.