Costco

Do you ever just stop and see yourself from a distance and think, “Is this REALLY my life?” This happened to me last night at Costco. After a lovely afternoon playing with our friends, I was in a decidedly non-cooking mood, and our grocery list was huge. So I made an executive decision and off we went to Costco for supper and shopping. The noisy boys were thrilled—pizza, hot dogs, and soda—and as Twin B commented, “With all of these snacks it’s just like a buffet!” And all for less than ten bucks, which is a good thing since we spent two-hundred-and-something on grapefruit and pork chops. And a few other things.

We made our way through the store, piling our carts high with diapers and formula and coffee (the baby pushes us over and we’re officially a 2-cart family now). So there we are, my husband, me, the noisy boys, the baby and our two carts full of stuff, and I hear a woman say, “Whoa!” as she walks by us. Now, it’s not unusual for people to comment on the twins, or casually say, “Boy, you’ve got your hands full” as they walk by me. But, “Whoa!” sounds kind of shocked or surprised, and when she said it, I laughed. I realized we must look like a “Whoa!” kind of family with our three boys and two carts full of food. And I laughed because I never imagined my life like this. Marriage? Three children? Dinner at a grocery store for a buck-fifty including the drink? Yet here I am. And shopping with my dear husband, who is the love of my life, and all of these kids, who are OURS, is a hoot. Day-to-day I don’t feel like a “Whoa!” family. We’re just us. And it feels right.