What to do?!

I think I might have to try online shopping for all of my purchases and here's why:

Shopping with children...whining, pouting, asking for everything, multiple bathroom visits, in-the-cart, out-of-the-cart, on-the-cart, hanging-off-the-edge-of-the-cart-and-almost-letting-it-tip, extra purchases, no, yes, this way, that way, look-mom, yes dear, come on please, is it time to go yet, just one more thing. Not much fun in the way of shopping with my kids, at least not the menial trips that I make, and at least not any that I can remember. I can say I have left early, thus spending little or no money. I guess that's a benefit.

Shopping without children...there is almost ALWAYS a whining or crying child in the store that sucks the life out of my "woohoo, I'm shopping without my kids" euphoric experience. I feel sorry for the parent, empathize with the child, and then miss the very children that I purposefully left at home! I experience a gut-wrenching need to hug Tasha, who, when I do make it home, complains that I didn't have the heart to buy her the nothing natural, fruitless, dye ridden go-gurts that she requested. (That was my fault for asking in the first place, duh!)

So obviously I'm not complaining about the crying child and/or their parents. In fact, I'm not even complaining. Apparently I'm being compassionate. Did you know...it is impossible to be angry and compassionate at the same time? There is brain research, seriously. That really struck a chord with me and helped me realize that I wasn't a nut case for missing my kids when I really didn't want to bring them in the first place. My heart was just messing with my brain.

But if I stop shopping at Safeway on Saturday night, I might not ever see people from church outside of the church building. Hah!