Bad Decisions
As a parent, all you can do is your best. And sometimes your best is pretty pathetic. And sometimes your best seems like the best then proves to be subpar.
Like tonight, for example. Andrew and I needed a ton of groceries, both to restock our house after our two weeks away and to prepare for Easter dinner, so we decided to journey to Wegman's late this afternoon (Andrew was working from home). It's about thirty minutes away. The drive and shopping were fine--the store was chaotic, but it always is--but as soon as we'd left the store and were on the road, Lucia announced she had to go potty.
By this time, it was after 5:00pm. We decided we'd find a McDonald's and let the girls have their dinner there. And thus starts tonight's series of bad decisions. Since no McDonald's was nearby, we decided to stop at a KFC that was right near our turnoff onto the NJ Turnpike. As we pulled in, Andrew and I decided that we, too, would just eat our dinner there, and save the delicious salmon we'd bought for tomorrow. Lucia went potty. We ordered our food. Lucia went potty again, wailing that her tummy hurt; indeed, she is still having some post-Mexico stomach issues. Lucia went potty a third time. Our food came. It was all but inedible. Greta occupied herself by dipping a potato wedge into ranch dip, licking it, giving a whole-body shudder, dipping it in the BBQ dip, licking it, shuddering, and so on. She ate nothing until I gave her an applesauce pouch which, thankfully, came with the meal. Lucia ate two chicken nuggets. I ate too many nuggets. Andrew ate a chicken sandwich. The restaurant was dirty and unpleasant.
As soon as it was time to leave, Greta produced an amazingly dirty diaper. We had to haul grocery bags out of the car trunk in order to change her. Her diaper had leaked onto her pants. Everyone was tired and cranky and still hungry, except for me and Andrew, who felt pretty sick after that food. Somehow, we made it home. Somehow, we got the girls fed and to bed. I have never experienced a more complicated grocery trip. Only with kids could a simple errand take such a convoluted turn.
Like tonight, for example. Andrew and I needed a ton of groceries, both to restock our house after our two weeks away and to prepare for Easter dinner, so we decided to journey to Wegman's late this afternoon (Andrew was working from home). It's about thirty minutes away. The drive and shopping were fine--the store was chaotic, but it always is--but as soon as we'd left the store and were on the road, Lucia announced she had to go potty.
By this time, it was after 5:00pm. We decided we'd find a McDonald's and let the girls have their dinner there. And thus starts tonight's series of bad decisions. Since no McDonald's was nearby, we decided to stop at a KFC that was right near our turnoff onto the NJ Turnpike. As we pulled in, Andrew and I decided that we, too, would just eat our dinner there, and save the delicious salmon we'd bought for tomorrow. Lucia went potty. We ordered our food. Lucia went potty again, wailing that her tummy hurt; indeed, she is still having some post-Mexico stomach issues. Lucia went potty a third time. Our food came. It was all but inedible. Greta occupied herself by dipping a potato wedge into ranch dip, licking it, giving a whole-body shudder, dipping it in the BBQ dip, licking it, shuddering, and so on. She ate nothing until I gave her an applesauce pouch which, thankfully, came with the meal. Lucia ate two chicken nuggets. I ate too many nuggets. Andrew ate a chicken sandwich. The restaurant was dirty and unpleasant.
As soon as it was time to leave, Greta produced an amazingly dirty diaper. We had to haul grocery bags out of the car trunk in order to change her. Her diaper had leaked onto her pants. Everyone was tired and cranky and still hungry, except for me and Andrew, who felt pretty sick after that food. Somehow, we made it home. Somehow, we got the girls fed and to bed. I have never experienced a more complicated grocery trip. Only with kids could a simple errand take such a convoluted turn.
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