Errands

Yesterday I took Cecilia on two errands. One to the library and one to the grocery store. I tried to vent to Shaun last night about them, but being like a true boy he just kept telling me all the ways I can fix the situation in the future. And I being a true girl just wanted him to listen and sympathize with me. Realizing our frustration with each other was because of the differences between boys and girls I decided to abandon my venting and blog about it instead, where no one can interrupt with "solutions."

So going on errands with a baby in a cast is such a pain! We have two stroller options, one an umbrella stroller and the other our bugaboo, which I love but it is a pain to lug around. So to go anywhere you have to get the stroller in the car, if I take the bugaboo which carries more things and rolls easier, then I have to take it apart, seat in the back seat and frame in the trunk and put it together everywhere we go. The umbrella stroller is easier to carry and put up but doesn't roll through snow and no stowage. Anyway so yesterday I was too lazy to take the bugaboo and wanted to just do quick errands so I took the umbrella. So I'm trying to balance that, the baby, a book to take back to the library and a water. I just had it all and am trying to lock the door and her shoe falls off. UGH! It feels like trying to carry anything else with her in a cast is too much but taking a million trips to the car is just as much of a pain so I try to do too much sometimes. I finally manage to balance everything and get to the car. Now buckling her in is also a 5 minute deal. You have to get her in just the right place where her feet aren't squished against the seat and she is up high enough that you can get it buckled and the straps keep falling off while you are trying to buckle them and Cecilia is pulling your hair because you have it in her face doing all of this. UGH UGH! Finally she is in and the stroller is in the trunk. Ok drive to the library. Now the aisles at the library are too narrow for her to fit in the stroller so I carry her. Luckily I find a bag in the car to put my book so I'm not trying to balance that and her and entertain her at the same time. Getting her out of the car is actually fairly quick, the straps fall off remember? Carrying her is a pain, but I tell myself I know where to go in the library for my next book so it will be fast. But let me tell you she is heavy and awkward. She has a bar between her legs which makes it easier to pick her up, but more difficult to carry her. 1o minutes is about my limit of holding her up with my arm while she is pushing me away because she is bored. Finally get the book and get to the car. A guy leaves the same time I do and I can't help noticing he is in his car and has driven off before I have her halfway buckled. Get her in and drive to the grocery store.

Now I only have about 10 items on my list. Should be a quick trip. Get out, get the stroller, get her, buckle her in the stroller, get the two grocery bags I have with me and walk into the store. I quickly pick up the items I need. Cecilia of course doesn't fit in the shopping cart so I have to forgo that and only get items I can carry. Remember I chose the stroller without the storage because it was easier? Well I'm now regretting that decision because I have to carry all of my items in my bags and push the stroller. Of course the handle of the bag doesn't want to stay on my shoulder either. I'm starting to really regret my decision when I get to the back of the store and pick up my last two items, milk for Shaun and I and eggs. We like different milk and go through a lot of it so a gallon of skim for me and 2% for Shaun. I have to do some rearranging at this point to get them in with the cabbage and make sure the eggs and bread fit in the other without getting squished. Carrying two FULL, HEAVY bags and pushing a stroller is not much fun. But I'm done now so I quickly walk to the front and gratefully set down my bags. I tell the bagger that I need to make it all fit in the two bags. It seems pretty obvious to me why. I have a stroller and no cart. So what does he do? Puts the grocery's in the two bags and puts the two gallon's of milk on the side and walks away. UGH UGH UGH! I look at it like "do you see two extra arms coming out of my body that I don't see"??? So I hurry and rearrange it all while the person behind me looks on and lug my groceries out of the store. Back to the car, put in the groceries, put in the baby (pulling hair and all), put in the stroller and get in. Drive home, get everything in the house and collapse exhausted on the couch an hour and a half after I left.

Boy I can't wait until she is out of this heavy, awkward thing! Two weeks from today is the cast change.