There's gotta be an easier way to shop with three one-year olds...

Most would probably stay home. I wanted to brave it out again today and went to Target. There are only a few stores I can go to that have larger carts or I have to take in my triple strollers which do not have the room to carry my items I want to buy.

Our trip was horrible. I even went prepared with drinks, goldfish in three individual snack bags and three boxes of raisins. Each had their own and they wouldn't have to share. Madelyn was great. She ate her snacks, no screaming, no yelling, nothing. The only thing she did was give someone I knew that came up to talk to me an evil look like "don't you look at me woman". Other than that, I wouldn't even have known she was in the cart.

The other two, TERRIBLE!!!! They fought over each other's snacks, poured out goldfish all over the floor and shopping carts, cried, yelled, screamed, you name it. Nate went into his terrible two tantrum at one point but he couldn't run off b/c I had him fastened into the cart. Andrew knows how to say "BALL" and he knows what it is. However, he also things all round objects are balls. While in the Christmas section he went nuts over the ornament's shaped like a ball and was yelling and wanting to hold everyone of them. Then we passed a kid holding a ball. I think that mother would have given up her kids ball if it would have shut my kids up. And then we passed a row that had balls on sale. Needless to say I came home with some but they've forgotten about them now. They just might end up under our Christmas tree (that is if we get one put up this year - not sure it will survive three one-year olds).

Andrew's buckle also broke and he slid out of the cart. So then I had to push the cart while holding his hand. He jerked and tried to run off. Nate was jealous b/c his brother was out of the cart and he wasn't so more screaming again.

I've come up with a new idea for shopping carts. They can put DVD players in cars and they can make portable DVD players...why not one on shopping carts? I could pop in a Baby Einstein movie and Andrew would be glued to it. I wouldn't even mind wearing one strapped to my chest if it kept him shut up for me to shop. I'm sure I'd look like an idiot but that's what everyone already thinks of a person going shopping with three one-year olds anyway. Madelyn is not much of a tv watcher but she does like the Wiggles and I'd buy more DVD's if the carts had a player.

Or shopping centers should open up a supervised play area while the parents shop. I'd pay for that. I know there are some centers now that do this on an hourly basis now but it would be more convenient for me if Wal-Mart or Target did their own.

I now this phase will pass and I will miss the sweetness of 19-20 month olds but I am looking forward to the day they can communicate with words instead of screams and I can reason with them.