Works for Me: Wet Shopping Carts

Ok, it’s been AGES since I’ve linked up to any sort of Works for Me carnival…but this? I had to share. I thought it was pretty genius!

 

Picture this – it’s Saturday, you know Costco is going to be a ZOO, but there are a few Staples which really must be purchased. So, you load up the kids, and you go. Of course, you were right about the hoards of people part, so you park in the spot that is furthest from the front door. Really, you’re practically back out in the street. You’ve already warned the kids that the place will be packed so 1) they will sit in the cart, 2) they will not whine to get down and 3) they will not whine. Period.

 

Oh, and did I mention it was pouring buckets?

 

I intended on being a Strict Mama, but I didn’t want to be a Mean Mama as well, so I decided to jerry rig the cart so at least the bony-bummed little princess wouldn’t whine about the lack of padding. I opened our hatch-back truck and positioned a (wet) cart underneath the overhang. I pulled out the blanket that I use to line the trunk to keep the seatbacks clean (what??!) and draped it over the cart seats.

 

I then dashed around the car, unbuckled the little man and told Ming Wai to unbuckle herself and be ready to go when I came back. She, of course, couldn’t understand my haste…because cold, fat drops of rain weren’t dripping down HER neck during this conversation. I ran back to the cart and got Siu Jeun situated, then returned for his sister. I threw her in the cart, and she was all smiles. Amazing what 1/4” of padding will do…

 

Then I looked out at the rain. What I didn’t want to do was to hand an easily-distracted four year old an umbrella and play Russian Roulette with my eyeballs. Try really, really hard not to poke mommy in the eye with the umbrella, and make sure to hold it nice and high so we all stay dry! Instead, I looked back at the blanket that I had covered the seat with. There was just enough…to make a tent.

 

(Once inside the store, Siu Jeun refused to model the “tent” and started disrobing as well. Heh.)

 

The kids were all grins and giggles as I raced through the parking lot, my own rubber boots splashing through the puddles, rain cascading down my head.

 

And you know what? We got in and out of Costco with nary a cross word. Success! (And that? Works for me. *grin*)