Emma and Me

My typical Friday night evening consists of picking the kids up and coming home to either make a frozen pizza or order one from somewhere for dinner. Then we usually watch a family type movie. After the movie the kids head to bed and I head off to the grocery store all by myself while Dave stays home. I have found that it's much eaiser to shop without the kids and by 8:30 - 9 o'clock at night the store is pretty empty and I don't have to deal with the crazies.

Last night started in the same way, I came home and fixed the frozen pizza and then the kids asked if they could watch The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. I really didn't care so we watched about 4 episodes before Dave got home. Once he got home I started to make my menu and grocery list for this coming week. While I was doing that Emma started asking if she could come with me. She was so cute about it and Ian didn't care becasue he wanted to stay home and watch tv with Daddy.

So for the first time in a very long time I decided to take Emma to the grocery store with me. While I was driving there I started to think about how I used to take Emma with me when Ian was a baby and Ian would stay home with Dave. I was telling Emma all about that time we used to spend together and of course in her typical fashion she had a million questions. This trip down memory lane also made me remember the time I accidently locked her in the car after shopping on afternoon. It was mid August and in Ohio that means high 90's and 100% humdity. I had loaded all the groceries in the car and then I tossed my keys and purse in the front seat while I buckeld her in the car seat. I shut her door and went to open mine but it wouldn't open. Of course complete panic set in because she was locked in there but so was my cell phone. I didn't want to go back into the store and leave her there alone and of course no one was around. Finally a female police office still in her uniform but on her way home was walking back to her car. I stopped her and explained what was going on and she radio'd for a local officer to come. It wasn't more than a minute later that the poilce office came flying down the isle with light and sirens blaring. Not far behind him was an ambulance as well. With the high temperatures the paramedics wanted to check Emma out to make sure she was ok. She was fine but they told me to go in and get her something to drink to make sure she didn't get dehydrated.

Since that day I always keep my keys in my hand because I am scared to death that something like that will happen again. When I told Emma this story she was very upset with me but she told me she forgave me for locking her in the car but that I had better not do it again. I just had to laugh at that one.

By the time I finished the story we were at the store and this time the shopping was alot different than back then. Emma walked the entire time and she helped me pick out which things to buy and she would get them off the shelves and put them in the cart. My usual trips are just around an hour from the time I leave the house to the time I pull back up. Last night's was a little bit longer than that because Emma doesn't move as fast but it was worth it to have that time with her. I just might have to do it a little more often.