Braving Costco

I didn't have the stamina to make it to Costco yesterday, while I was out shopping with one kid. I don't know what made me think I would have the stamina to go to Costco with both kids today. Don't get me wrong, I have really great and mostly obedient children. Usually it is a breeze to go shopping, even while I am seven months pregnant with a ginormous baby. In all seriousness though, it usually is a breeze. But combine several factors and it turns into an absolute nightmare. Factor one: the snow storm from the weekend has left a thick layer of dirty slush everywhere because today is warmer than the last three days have been. This led to factor two: the Costco parking lot was a sloshy mess of slush and dirty puddles. Which is so fun for Bram, since he loves to jump in puddles. I did not anticipate this leading to factor three: Bram eating the filthy slush off the bottom of his boots while I was trying to buckle Anders. I thought I was going to die, it was so disgusting. And for those of you who are not familiar with Montreal, over 25% of the population smoke cigarettes, so when I say the slush is gross, it is full of the grime left over from a lot of smokers! 

Then, we get home. I think, "The boys are dying to play in the snow. I will let them play in the huge piles of snow by the back porch while I unload groceries. Man, I am such an awesome mom!" They played happily for less than a minute when Anders fell into a snow mound and found out that snow on bare hands is COLD. Like, really really cold AND painful. So he screamed/cried uncontrollably for about five minutes. I couldn't take him inside to help warm them up because the car wasn't done being unloaded and Bram WOULDN'T come inside yet. Did I mention factor four: I am not supposed to pick up either of my children. With Bram, I sometimes have no choice. Whoever heard of a perfectly obedient almost two-year-old. Pretty sure I never will. 

So that was exhausting. But we did it. Hopefully Bram doesn't get some nasty virus from that slush...And Anders really isn't worse the wear for discovering how cold snow can be, and Bram somehow inherently understood this and didn't have a problem.