Yesterday was grocery day. I made my list, printed it, packed snacks, and got the three girls ready to go. The grocery list was surprisingly short and I thought it would be a quick, cheap and uneventful trip.
We pull in the parking lot and I reach for the grocery list. It isn't there. I know I had it. Where is it? Search the car for a couple of minutes, can't find it. Decide I can shop without it since we didn't need much. Besides there was no way I was turning around driving 10 minutes home to get the list and coming back to the store. So winging it would have to do.
Charlotte was upset that she didn't get to ride in the cart. Even with the big cart with the extra two seats, it just doesn't work for her to ride. And she is 4 1/2, she is big enough to walk.
About a third of the way through the store she had a shoe issue the top half of her sandal came off. If she had actually buckled them properly that probably wouldn't have happened but that is probably a different post altogether. She stopped to fix it. I looked back to see a set of shelves (about 2 feet wide and deep and 6 feet tall) starting to fall. I yell "Charlotte, NO!" She starts screaming and rights the shelves. Of course there are now 10 or so Snapple Water bottles on the floor, half of which are spilled as the lids broke in the fall.
At this point I think "now what?" Luckily an employee saw it and radioed for clean up. I offered to help and to pay for the Snapple but was told they would take care of it. I made Charlotte apologize and dried her tears. Then for the rest of the shopping trip I'm having a silent battle in my head - "I really should pay for those spilled drinks," "they really shouldn't have had so many heavy bottles on something that unstable." Back and forth and back and forth. Finally, I decided it really was their fault. All Charlotte had done was reach out with one hand and slightly leaned against the shelves just enough to reach over and buckle her shoe. I was very impressed that she was able to right the shelves and the whole thing didn't crash to the ground.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. The grocery bill was only $70! Woohoo! But I did get home and realize I forgot the sandwich baggies and string cheese. Oops.
Alls well that ends well,
Jenn
Tell Charlotte and yourself not to worry about the drinks. I can remember being about 7 or 8 and going with my parents to a light store (for some kind of hanging lamp I suppose.) Lisa and I were told to sit/stand at the one chair they had and be still. It felt like forever. There were some boxes stacked up next to the chair, but not against a wall. While we were fidgeting we bumped into the boxes and they all came crashing down. They were glass. They were sold already. Mom took us out to the car and Dad came out later with the saleslady/manager following behind, screaming at him that he would pay for them. I don't recall his exact answer, but I'm sure it had something to do with only an idiot would stack sold glass in that manner. It was almost the angriest I'd ever seen him, and we didn't dare say a word all the way home.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that the shelves didn't fall ON her or on someone else. What a heart-stopping moment.