Shopping Etiquette

Today was a busy day. I worked out this morning from 9:15- 10:30. Then I came home, showered, ate lunch, and headed to work. I worked from 12:30 to 3:15 and went from there to the grocery store for my weekly shopping trip. After that I came home, unloaded all the food, loved on my kids a bit, then started dinner. By the time it was all cleaned up and kids were bathed and in bed, it was 9:00! Some days are just crazy!

While at the store today I noticed I tend to do our shopping the same way week in and week out. I guess I get stuck in a routine and then don't veer off the path much. For example, I always plan a menu for the week ahead. Then I make a grocery list based on what food items we need to make those specific meals. After that, I make a list of food "staples" that I know we will need such as bread, milk, etc. Finally, I do a quick scan of a few money saving blogs that I follow to search out any good deals on things that I know I will use. Sometimes this involves cutting coupons or going to a store that I don't normally shop at, but it is worth it for the savings.

Once I have done all my planning, I do the bulk of my shopping at the same store every week. I like being familiar with the layout and knowing where to find just about anything. I start shopping at the same end of the the store every week (the fresh produce section) then weave my way up and down the aisles until I wind up at the opposite end of the store in the dairy aisle. I can get through the routine pretty quickly now, when I don't have any kids with me, of course.

In all my trips to the store, I've also noticed a few rules of etiquette when it comes to grocery shopping.

1. Carts stay on the right side of the aisle, much like driving down the road.

2. When you come up to another shopper who has parked his/her cart on the right side while debating whether to buy Raisin Bran or Cinnamon Toast Crunch, it is polite to wait for about a minute. Then you may pass the parked cart and move on. *In this scenario I am envisioning a crowded aisle. If it is not busy, feel free to pass the parked cart sooner.

3. If you happen to criss-cross paths with the same shopper as you move up and down the aisles, it is appropriate to smile and nod only the first two or three times. After that, you can feel free to go about your business and not feel obligated to continue to acknowledge each other out of feeling a little awkward.

4. If you have a full cart in the check out lane and another shopper gets in line behind you holding only one or two items, absolutely let them go ahead of you. You would want them to do the same for you if the situation were reversed.

5. Always put your cart away in the parking lot. It's really simple.

There you have it. Grocery Store Etiquette 101. Think I should add anything?

*Photo found here.

A Boy and His Cars

Lucas has just recently been playing with his cars. He drives them around on the floor and makes cute little car noises. Until now, the only thing he was ever interested in playing with were balls. He still likes to kick, catch and throw any kind of ball, but now we can add cars to the list of things he likes to play with too! I love watching him grow and change.

Cars in action. Note the yellow ball in the photo too. The boy is never without a ball nearby.

This one is for your lap, Mom!

So many cars, so little time.

Hafer Park

It was 77 degrees today, so we did what everyone else in the Edmond, OK area did.....we went to Hafer Park! It was packed. There were tons of people there doing all the typical outdoor activities you could possibly think of. Kids were running, swinging and climbing on the different playgrounds as well as exploring in the woods around the park. Groups of teenagers and adults were playing soccer or tossing a frisbee. A dad and son were flying a kite. There was a family cooking out on a grill, the smell of charcoal and good things to eat filling the air. Lots of men and women were jogging the trails. There was even a large group of people engrossed in LARP. They had swords and shields and some were decked out in Medieval gear, We stopped to watch for awhile. Even with the crowds we had a great afternoon together.

Want to see your kids smile? Tell them you are taking them to the park. And then they will gladly pose for a photo too.
So excited, I tell you!

Ready to climb and play

My Little Man opted to just dig into the ground with a stick for his entertainment.

Leah laughing

Sliding with Sis

Perfect sunny winter day
Leah Rae
Hannah Joy

Love my crew! It was hard to get them to be happy about standing still for yet another photo at this point in the day. Oh well, I still love them. :)

A Photo from the Past

Mike and Me

August 1998

Have you ever looked at a photo at a person's house and wondered at all the details surrounding it? I thought I'd find a random picture at our home and attempt to explain the story behind it.

Mike proposed to me on June 16, 1998. It was the summer before my senior year in college and Mike had just recently graduated and started his first professional job. After telling everyone the good news, we quickly called my home church and booked June 4th of the following summer for our wedding. The rest of that summer was a blur of trying on dresses, finding a reception site and taste testing wedding cakes. In the middle of all of the fun wedding activities, Mike's parents called and said they would like to throw us an engagement party at their home in New Jersey at the end of August, just before school started back for me. I was thrilled! The party they threw was amazing. So many of their close friends attended to celebrate with us and many of them were incredibly generous to us. Mike's mom outdid herself decorating the home and had prepared food galore. It was a fantastic night that I will always remember fondly.

A few days later, Mike's parents said they would like to have a "date" with us before we headed back to Oklahoma. The engagement party was wonderful, but it was a busy night, and they wanted to have an evening that was more laid back so we could spend some quality time together. At the time, Mike's parents owned a boat. It was a long speed boat, also called a "cigarette boat." Mike's mom packed a wonderful picnic dinner, and the four of us headed out in the late summer afternoon to take the boat for a ride around Manhattan Island. That night is one of a handful etched perfectly in my mind. I remember the salty smell of the water. The chill of the wind whipping through my hair. I remember the sensation of flying over the water, hitting a few wakes along the way and bobbing up and down. We sped around the island, stopping here and there as Mike's dad pointed out the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and many other iconic landmarks. The sun started to fade and reflect off the skyscrapers rising high above us, and the bright lights of New York City started to twinkle in the purple evening light. We "parked" the boat just off of Liberty Island where Lady Liberty herself towered over us. It was there, with the gentle sound of waves lapping the side of the boat, that we sat and ate our picnic dinner and chatted about the upcoming wedding. We stayed until it was dark, then headed back to New Jersey. All the way back I kept turning around to see the lights of The Big Apple getting smaller behind me. I was so excited for the future, about marrying Mike, finishing school, and whatever adventures were still to come. And what a fun adventure it has been! The picture above was taken on this wonderful night. I love that you can see the Twin Towers standing tall in the background.

So now, in the words of Paul Harvey, you know the rest of the story. :)

Good-bye Snow!

Today we said good-bye to this little fellow below. The snow is officially gone around here and replaced by two days of 80 degree weather! Seriously! We had a blizzard last week with a foot of snow and wind chills of -31 degrees. This week, we've had to break out the short sleeves and flip flops! I had the air conditioning on in my car today, but refused to turn it on in my house. Crazy Oklahoma weather for sure.

Hannah's little snowman. She created him out of one of the last piles of snow a few days ago. Only his carrot nose was left in the grass today. Though it was short, he lived a good life.

I will say there are plenty of good things about warm weather in February. Mainly that we have had our windows open for two days now and our house smells incredibly fresh and spring-like AND we've been playing outside like crazy. It feels good to fill our lungs and pump our legs after being cooped up for a few weeks. This evening we had played a few rounds of "Mother May I?" and a few games of soccer (which is really just running and screaming and chasing after a ball while following no set of rules in particular). I love these unexpected warm days!

What's it like where you are?

Beauty and the Beast

Yes, that is a blurry picture of me holding two tickets to the traveling Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast! Nikki and I are headed downtown tonight to eat a nice dinner and see a show. It is my way of saying "thank you" for all her hard work yesterday. So excited for a girls' night out without any children to take care of for a few hours. Love these kids of mine, but I am really looking forward to some adult conversation. Maybe I will be able to complete a few sentences!

Oh and as a side note, my top three favorite Broadway shows are:

1. Les Miserables

2. Phantom of the Opera

3. Wicked

Maybe this will be a close 4th? We shall see.

A Good Friend

My good friend, Nikki, came over today and helped me clean my house from top to bottom. I'm talking baseboards, scrubbing shower floors, sweeping, mopping, and getting the dust of of ceiling fans kind of cleaning. "Deep cleaning" as it is known. Nikki and I have cleaned houses together in the past as a part time job. Then one day a few weeks ago it dawned on us that we could help each other clean our own houses and get the job done in half the time. Since neither of us can afford to pay a house cleaner, why not trade off and do it ourselves! Pure genius! We started off at 10:00 this morning and were finished by 2:00, with only a short break for lunch. And we each had our 18 month olds running around! Not bad, if I do say so myself. And later, after Nikki left, I was so inspired by my sparkling clean house that I managed to get our laundry under control too. Now that is an accomplishment!

So now I am getting in bed early to read and relax in my wonderfully clean house. Man, I am so very thankful for good friends!