This is how it all began....

(Orignally written Feb. 2008)

So I've decided I'm well on my way to that typical soccer mom stereo type...not intentionally, but it's pretty inevitable living here in the 'burbs and staying home with my kids....
SUV....check, back seat full of carseats....check, using the mommy lingo....CHECK, embarassing moment in the grocery store....check, chatting with other mommies in the grocery store and sharing personal information with a complete stranger....CHECK!

So last Monday I got up and got dressed way too early, just so I'd have the chance to feel human that day and decided to be super ambitious and take the girls grocery shopping. Now it sounds simple, but it's not because Chloe sits in the seat part of the cart and usually Ava will chill in her carseat in the basket part. But that doesn't work with big grocery trips, so I decided to front pack Ava! Ava's been sick for a week or so but she seemed okay that morning so I decided to go for it. If you have kids you know leaving the house isn't as simple as it used to be. Pack the diaper back in case of the rare and inconveniant blow out in the store, pack the snack for Chloe, the entertainment bag for Chloe, make sure Chloe pees before we leave, put the cart seat cover in the shopping cart, strap on the front pack, load Ava, load Chloe, make sure I have my list (items listed in order that we go thru the store) realize Chloe has a purse, snack and more things than I do (phone and debit card in my pocket, keys in the front pack) and finally start our adventure! By this time I'm already sweating, so much for the cute mommy outfit (cardigan, tank top, jeans, pre-mommy platform slides-not even comparing to "cute" outfits before I had kids...).

All is going well and I'm cruising through Winco (yes, winco, my LEAST favorite place in life!). Get to the check out where a gorgeous girl in her early twenties politely offers me a paper towel and informs me "umm...your baby is like, blowing bubbles with her nose!". There's the embarassing mommy moment!! Thanks check out girl! As I'm bagging my own groceries (yes, a very difficult thing with a huge baby strapped to my chest, keeping me from bending over!) another mommy asks how far apart in age my girls are. I inform her they are twenty one months apart and she give me that knowing smile (the "I know your second baby was a surprise because nobody is that crazy on purpose") and I acknowledge her thought by informing her that yes, Ava was a surprise. She proceeds to ask how many kids do I want and is my husband hoping for a boy?? Yes of course, I guess we'll keep going until we get one...on and on for about ten minutes we discuss kids, husbands, surprise babies and grocery shopping with kids. The most stimulating conversation I will probably have that day!

I finished shopping, loaded my life back into our gas guzzling SUV and drove back to my happy suburban home, feeling accomplished, fulfilled and eager to start the rest of my day.....