Shopping with 3 kids at Costco

Costco is the only place that I usually don't feel too overwhelmed in taking multiple kids. Hey, being outnumbered 3 to 1 now, I choose my errands based on Logan's school schedule. But Costco has great parenting tools. Buying the hot dog and soda is the best way ever to spend $1.65 including tax. Ok, so when I have Logan and Rowen and Maddoc (the extra and gives away how I really feel about going with all three kids), it costs $3.30, but it's still worth it. The kids each eat their hot dog (and yes, my now 35 pound blondie can put away the entire hot dog most of the time), and I get to sneak sips of their soda. Rowen sits calmly in the front of the cart and Logan walks and is too distrustful of Mommy to let his precious Sprite/Pink Lemonade mix out of sight. Which means I don't have to quietly yell "Logan, get back here" every 1.8 minutes for an hour. Point Mommy.

So the kids and I all go to Costco yesterday. But it was after school, really hot, and we only needed a few items, so instead of the hot dog and soda trick, I used the "let's all split a frozen yogurt" number. It works similar to the hot dog/soda trick, but it allows both kids to walk, since neither of them wants to lose their spot in the bite rotation. Cause with Mommy holding the yogurt, if you aren't there when it's your bite, you forfeit that round to Mommy, no matter who's next in line. Anyway, we're almost to the cash registers, and we're walking down our last aisle, and Logan is behind me and says "Hey, you're fat". And I know this is entirely my fault by talking to Maddoc and telling him that it's his fault I can't fit into my clothes anymore. But I turn around and gasp and give him my "What did you say?" face that is not totally serious because I know he's actually just teasing me and doesn't mean anything by it. And he says "No, I just mean your bum." I don't know what made that seem like a better option in his mind, but it just made me laugh.

And speaking of my kids and how they make me laugh, Rowen ends almost everything she says with the word "right". But with her inability to correctly pronounce r's and with the inflection she uses, she sounds like she's trying to be Rosie Perez. So every time she says it now, I just picture her with huge silver hoop earrings that go all the way to her shoulders. "Mommy, we're going to the park, right?" and "Mommy, after Maddoc falls asleep, I can have a drink, right?" It's cute and annoying at the same time.

Even Maddoc is getting in on it. He stayed in his car seat facing me at Logan's T-ball game today for an hour. And I swear, 3 times I yelled at Logan to pay attention in the outfield, and every time I did, Maddoc started laughing. Which is usually the opposite, because whenever I'm holding him, if I yell, he starts crying. I think Maddoc is going to be a little snitch on his older brother and sister and he's going to enjoy it. He's going to play the pesky baby brother part very well. It's not like he has a lot of options. There's a bigger gap between him and Rowen than Rowen and Logan. It'll be the only method of retaliation or blackmail he'll have.

Wow, time flies when you're not holding a baby. It's definitely time for sleep. Good night.