Market Meltdown.

Food shopping. The arch nemesis of mothers.
We've all seen a supermarket meltdown.
Sometimes it's our kid and sometimes (thankfully) it's not.

It seems the supermarkets feel our pain. They are trying to make it easier.
Now there are carts with a little kid car on the front - genius!
They may he deceptively long and difficult to steer but they keep the kids happy.
They are not at our favorite market though.

Instead they have two kiddie distraction tools.
One is a soft toy hidden in the store.
Once spotted you report the location to a member of staff and get a treat in return.
Fun!
The other is the mini cart.

Oh, the mini cart. So cute and yet I cringe every time I see one.
This one has a little pole and flag with 'Customer in Training' on it.
Adorable.
Unless it is being driven by an EXTREMELY independently minded (stubborn) 20 month old.

My dread begins when we first enter the store. Will there be a kiddie cart available?
If not - we may as well leave. I have visions of the baby tackling another kid for one.

Yesterday, we made it past the first hurdle. We got a cart.
My next challenge is to control what goes in the cart.
I'm not sure how she managed it but I found a six pack of beer in there.
Removing unauthorized selections is a delicate operation.
I need to be stealthy. "Oh look is that the hidden cuddly toy?"
I am successful. For now.

The second challenge is to avoid a lawsuit as she barrels around the store.
No ankles are safe.

We make it to the check out. I need to be vigilant for more unauthorized goods.
Today, just to spice things up, that's not the issue.
The mini cart seems less full than it was five minutes ago.
Where are the boxes of cereal?
What happened to the crackers and cheese?
Didn't we pick out bananas?

As I exclaim my confusion to the cashier - a woman in at the next register pipes up.
"I saw her removing lots of things in the wine aisle - I thought she just didn't want them anymore."
There are two points here.

Really? You thought a baby was re-thinking her purchases?
You didn't think it would be helpful to point it out to the mom?

The second point might be that perhaps , just maybe, I was too focused on my wine selections to notice the baby discarding our food all over the store.....
Feeling more than a little embarrassed, I watch as a staff member is dispatched to retrieve our missing goods.

The final stage to the whole horrifying process is saying goodbye to the cart.
This always involves tears and often a full scale tantrum.
Yesterday she surpassed herself and knocked the cart to the ground.

It's always fun to look up and see the disapproving stares of an entire supermarket.
Next week we are eating take out - all week.