Supermarket Day

I dread going to the supermarket. If you do something week in and week out with the same old list of things to buy, plus you're not really a food person, supermarket shopping can be a drag. Some people are supermarket people. I'm more a bookstore person. Well, today was supermarket day. I thought about procrastinating, which I often do especially if there's still corned beef in the pantry, but then we were out of eggs, cooking oil and nappies so that was that.

The kids were home so I dragged them with me. In the car, I told myself I would just get the essentials and go back another day to finish the list. It was raining and I had an hour before dinnertime. With two kids in tow, I wasn't sure we would make it.

Well, never underestimate your children. As soon as we got inside the store, my six-year old daughter rushed to get a cart for us. And before I could even put my son on the seat, she headed for the vegetable section to check out some cabbages. Knowing her brother was watching, she came back to instruct him not to choose the wilted ones. Then she walked around picking fruits and other veggies to be weighed and priced. "What else is on the list, mom?"she asked without missing a beat. I told her we needed to get chicken, and she dashed to the poultry section, coming back to check what chicken part I wanted! All these happened within a span of fifteen minutes as I stood there beside the cart, making sure her brother didn't jump out.

After we got everything we needed, she helped me unload the cart at the check out counter and we were out of the store in record time. I'm sure if she had money, she would have paid for everything herself. There was absolutely no request for a sweet reward and I restrained myself from offering any.

In the car, I thanked her for being so helpful and she glowed with pride. On the way home, I thought about what age would be appropriate to permanently delegate this daunting chore to Miss Supermarket, who just happens to be the other bookstore person in the family.