Grocery Store conversations

I think it's safe to say that WHEREVER I go I get the "You have your hands full", "Bless Your Heart", "Are those are your's?!?!"comments. Grocery stores just happen to be my most frequent places to go and it ALSO seems to be the place where people just seem to WANT to tell you whatever comes to mind......especially Walmart.

Good news? Royce is old enough now and the girls have bows that I haven't gotten mis-gendered comments ("Aw, 3 little girls?") type comments.

I usually just smile and act friendly. Yesterday at Walmart there was an older lady that just REALLY wanted to talk about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and every ONE of their potty-training stories. I kept handing crackers from my pocket to the 3 younger kids I shop with and hoped that they would behave (it was RIGHT smack in the middle of their naptime). She asked if my husband helped out w/ the kids and I said he was super helpful. Then she said, "Does anyone help you out during the week?" I smiled and said no.

As I walked away I could've kicked myself. I sooooooooo should've just pointed up, because really, I DO have help, a Heavenly Father that gives me perspective and patience.

And speaking of patience...........

Here is yet another encounter I had the day before. Royce was a tad tired during that store so I had him on my hip for part of the shopping then put him back in the cart. I was in the checkout line and an elderly lady (yes it IS usually them that comment) asked if the 3 kids with me were mine. Then she just looked up and down me and said, "You must have ALL the patience in the world!!!!"

I quietly thanked my lucky stars Aleeya and Iris weren't fighting in the cart and just started thinking about patience. Patience has been a slow learning process and I'm still not even CLOSE to where I would like to be. With each kid I feel I've gotten more though. My patience level today is a LOT more then when I just had 1 child. I've always wanted patience so it's probably a good thing I have so many kids to keep giving me more chances to practice.

So there I was in la-la land thinking about how much my patience has grown, etc. I paid for the food and walked out to the van. Then I looked down and saw this.......

(however it was WET at the store)

There I was thinking of the wonders of patience and how I've improved and that lady probably made that ol' "You must have ALL THE PATIENCE in the WORLD" comment after noticing I just did my grocery shopping with my baby's poop on my shirt!!!!!!!

Come to think of it, THAT would increase patience too.