Goats and shopping

I learnt a lesson today. Don’t try to do a week’s worth of shopping with a five month old baby, by yourself with no car.

Since having Jasper I’ve discovered having shopping delivered is a huge help. I don’t have to do shop wrestling with a trolley load and a baby. It means I can do it in my own time, so often I spend any spare time on a Sunday doing the weekly shop. We don’t have a car either, so it really does help an awful lot.

However, I had some vouchers and gift cards to spend at Tesco which cannot be used online. So I decided to be brave and actually go to the store.

This involved a major strategic plan of bags, baby and timing. How to get there and how to get back.

List of problems to contend with:

1. Q. How to get there? A. Too far to walk without pram, cheaper by bus than taxi.
2. Q. How to get back? A. With lots os shopping, it had to be a taxi. Taxi fare instead of shopping delivery charge.
3. Unable to take pram if getting taxi, as it’s large. Need infant carrier for safe car journey.
4. Only me going with Jasper, so was going to be a challenge to pack everything. Remember shopping bags!
5. Must make a list, or I would forget things.

Made decision that I needed to take Jasper in his infant carrier, on the bus on the way there, and get taxi on the way back.

So I got ready. After Jasper had his feed, I whizzed about like a lunatic getting everything I needed. Who would have thought a shopping trip would be so much to think of.

Plan of action: Get Jasper dressed, get me dressed. Don’t forget teeth and hair. Get shopping bags. Get changing bag, check for nappies and wipes, purse and phone. Remember shopping list (already made while feeding Jasper) and vouchers. Check. Put Jasper in infant carrier. All in sync with bus times. Avoiding showers of heavy rain if at all possible.

I did it. I got to Tesco, a little stressed, but all the same, fine. Put Jasper on one of those awkward trolleys where you put the infant carrier on. A mean achievement in itself, as infant carrier plus baby is somewhat heavy, and place to put infant carrier is high.

Then wandered around Tesco, remembering everything and trying to find things. It took a long long long long long long long long time. I struggled with the trolley, as you cannot see past the baby. And the wheels didn’t want to turn and it got heavier and heavier. I arrived at the till no doubt looking some kind of wreck where I had pity bestowed upon me by a young Tesco worker.

She packed while I almost fell head first into the trolley trying to get all the shopping out. Why does it feel so panicky when you’re doing that, like somehow you must keep the flow going. Meanwhile Jasper had a crowd of admirers, and was quite happy smiling for the ladies.

I got to the other end of the til and took over packing. At this point I had broken into a sweat and things weren’t so much getting packed, but put in places to fit. I felt as if I were on some kind of challenge, pack your shopping, as fast as you can, while watching a baby and keeping your sanity.

By this point, I had actually sworn to the Tesco worker that I would not be doing this again for a long long long long long long long time and that deliveries were most definitely the way to go.

Time to pay. Remembered the vouchers, but had to sort out the right ones. Forgot the gift vouchers, almost paid then remembered them. At this point Jasper was discarding his shoes and demanding attention, probably no doubt to inform me that his shoes were off.

I then had to hurriedly get the bags in to the trolley. Difficult with this type of trolley, particularly with heavy bags and a sore shoulder.

I was glad to make it outside, Jasper, shopping and I intact. Just.  Phoned for taxi and watched the world go by until it arrived.

Then the most bizarre taxi journey ever quite possibly. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get home and during that time the entire conversation revolved around goats!

Goats eating grass, mountain goats, goats eating washing, goats not eating washing. Most bizarre.

I was glad to be home, and to be able to get a coffee and relax. I really don’t want to be doing that again in a hurry.

So if you’re like me, with a Jasper and such, then stick to the home delivery and save yourself some sanity. And if you want a conversation about goats, give me a shout, I’ll give you the taxi number.