Here’s my rant for today.  I don’t like to use my blog to complain, BUT…

I have previously written about how I feel like an out-of-control freak show when I go out in public with my kids all by myself.  I still push myself to do it for mine and my kids’ sakes (we have to leave the house sometime), but could the stores throw me a freakin’ bone?

Today, I had my baby in her car seat that wouldn’t quite fit on the shopping cart and my son chilling out in the ride-along bench that was attached to the cart.  Yes, the contraption makes it possible for me to keep 2 kids semi-immobile while I shop, however it also requires that I maneuver an 8 foot long tank through the mega market aisles. 

I tell myself, “I can do it” and I push on (literally).

I’ve made it through the shopping and only had to purchase one Diego bribe, I mean coloring book.  I arrive at the checkouts only to find one lane with a real person and all of the self-checkout lanes open.  I usually avoid the self check outs because I’m not adept at the scanning and would much prefer the traditional Scan-Man (or Lady) to help me out.  Today, I just wanted to get out, so I thought I would try it myself.

It certainly wasn’t any faster doing it myself.  I clumsily scanned the items while simultaneously reassuring my son that we were almost done.  Inevitably, I had to have a Scan Lady come help me to finish up and she stuck around to help bag some of my items (probably not in her job description).

My rant is… with all of the other multi-tasking, baby juggling, head-ache rousing things I happily deal with everyday, can’t another person be responsible for scanning AND bagging my groceries?  I try to save money by going to the mega stores, but if it means the extra work to check out, I might return to a more traditional grocer (while they still exist!).