Kids n' Walmart

My kids LOVE to go to Walmart and where we live it's groceries at Wally World or H-E-B Foods. Tonight, after work, I made a quick list of items that I needed to get us through the weekend and worked myself up for what was about to happen in the next 60 minutes. Was I ready for the after school, tired, hungry, wanting everything at Walmart children that were about to enter my van for our venture? Or, was it me? Was it me that was after work, tired hungry, wanting everything at Walmart that was really the issue? I have been in my massive save mode and knew that I was doing great..I had a list..and could not give the kids mustard sandwiches tomorrow for lunch...so I created a new approach..a new plan of action ..something to make the whole mood that I was anticipating dissipate..

Here is what I did. And it worked! 

My kids are creative creatures and love make believe, they love to pretend they have imaginary friends and often find themselves making up grandiose stories about the happenings of their day or a solution to my dilemmas if I ask them their opinions. In reality, I ask them because it is cute to hear their "Higley Town Heroes" cartoon type solutions. (cartoon that has a character in it that is always coming up with really interesting and off the wall solutions to their dilemmas) Example: If the dilemma is a cat is stuck in a tree, the solution might go something like this:

"Let's build a giant catapult made out of cupcakes and rocket ourselves into outer space where we will pick up magic moon beams and place them into jars made of honey and when we get back to earth again we will toss the jars of honey in the air, the honey will stick to the cat and weight him down and will save him because he will slide down the tree"

So,,, you get the idea! Anyways, back to Walmart. So, I told the children that if we get anything that is not on the list our cart will fill up with hot lava because we are on a scavenger hunt in the jungle and any item that isn't planned, could be dangerous. :) I promised them if we make it through the jungle without getting covered with molten lava or eaten by tigers and could get everything on the list as planned and as quickly as possible, I would have a surprise for them.  

TAKIS.

The story ends here. We made it through Walmart and it was the best after school/work hour I have had this week with the kids. Note to self though, my trips to the store usually left for Sunday afternoons or evenings when Josh is home, have taken on a new light, a new adventure maybe. Silly to some, but priceless to me...Motherhood is about being creative too. I learn something new everyday and appreciate their silly. 

My cup runneth over..even with Kids n' Walmart!