Day in the Life--HEB with 5!

Linking up with Kathryn at Team Whitaker to share a little day-to-day fun this week!  

I don't have a full day to share yet, but I've been wanting to share my Instagram play-by-play of a trip to the grocery store with all the kids last week!  For some reason, grocery shopping always seems like the true Olympic mama sport for me. I try to avoid taking all the kids myself, but since Steven was out of town all week last week, it was necessary.  I figured some photo documentation would help me survive. And it did!  We made it!

The morning started off in typical fashion. Homeschooling and loud boys playing with toys. Poor Katie was hurt by a rowdy boy soon after I took this photo!

My fridge was nearly bare. A grocery trip was definitely on the agenda for the day. But I had to wait until an online class was completed, and before a friend came over to play, so there was a small window of time in which I could make it to the store!

One child could only find two mismatched Crocs. Another was refusing to get in his carseat.  There was actually a stand-off during this photo here.  I wouldn't drive away until he got into his seat!

We drove through Market Street, which always makes me happy, and then I even got my favorite parking spot!  Actually it's my 2nd favorite parking spot.  My first favorite is the one for expectant mothers near LaMadeleine :)

Made it through the produce and then onto the meat section.  Katie is getting some reassurance from big sis here while the blondies run around in the background.  Just so you know, anytime I go someplace with all the kids, they run off and I lose them several times.  I kind of just hold my breath and trust that they will make their way back to me. Sometimes I have to start calling out for them, but that's kind of embarrassing.

Right here was a point where all the kids were off on their own trying to find band-aids (also used as stickers for some young male members of the family). Katie is a little concerned that her kids could be missing!  I actually spotted Thomas run by in a different direction, but just waited until another sibling located him instead of running after him. They all eventually made their way back.

The girls were peeking at the chocolates here, and the kind lady struck up a conversation. "What's her name?" Katie. "Oh Kailey?" Katie. "Casey?" Katie. "Oh hello Casey!" She went on to rave about Katie's "pony" (ponytail), and thoroughly confused Ellie who could not figure out what pony the baby had, and assumed the lady was referring to a nursery rhyme :)

It wouldn't be a trip to the store without a meltdown. Someone was not happy that mommy said "NO BUDDY BUCKS." This store gives paper money that the kids can use in a machine to get stickers that add up to win prizes. Sometimes they win Instant Winner and get a ruler or plastic plate or something. It's very exciting for the toddler and preschool set, but I was DONE and not willing to wait at a prize machine!

And we arrive at the car! The kids had found a Spanish church card with Our Lady of Guadalupe that someone put on the window. Our Lady was reassuring me that she knows what it's like to be a busy mom! She will help me through!

On the way home we spotted the ice skating rink under construction, as well as the Market Street tree. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

And we made it back home. Groceries were put away, and baby could finally go back to sleep after being awakened for the outing! I'm wearing a t-shirt here for the Run for the Little Flowers. I was supposed to do a virtual 5K in October, but I forgot to do it on the right date. This grocery trip was like my own kind of 5K, but hopefully I'll actually work back up to jogging that far again and will do my own run by the end of the year in honor of the Little Flower Projects. If you don't follow the Facebook page of this beautiful orphanage in China, you should! The mom who organizes the virtual fun run has just brought her little girl home from China. Praise God!

So I survived the outing, the day, and the week without Daddy. This week is going a little better. I got my new washing machine today, so that definitely helps! A full week of no washer with this many people adds up to a LOT of clothes that need washing! Off to check on another load...

Maybe more Day in the Life tomorrow...