Walmart Moments

Right now the baby is playing with a Cocoa Cannister and a lid from a canning jar, everyone else is out of the house for a moment. So I thought I'd try to write.
Today I went to Walmart. I brought my four children with me. They are ten, eight, four and eleven months. The baby was on my back in an Ergo and he decided it would be fun to obssively scratch me. So my ten year old had to hold his hands as we walked. I had to keep putting back random articles the four year old was trying to adopt. My eight year old was an angel today and he needs a shout out for that because he usually has a melt down. My ten year old got underwear in the womans section for the first time ever. Tear.
After we made it out of there alive (and just barely alive at that) with three minion shirts, matching dresses for the girls, a pair of goggles and some tea tree oil, and the said womans underwear; I was driving home and I got thinking ~In life in North American there are Walmart Moments. Now this may just be news to you and you may have never realized this fact. However I will enlighten you. When you go to Walmart if you keep your eyes and ears open; you WILL HAVE a Walmart Moment. And...if you are lucky my little gang of hooligans and I may JUST provide you with that said moment. If its not us though dont worry. Someone will be faithful to provide it. Just you wait.
Now Walmart moments are gems and they are completely random. One of my most memorable Walmart Moments included a time in my life when I had but two children. I observed a Dutch Reform mother with six children about six and under. She had twins that were a couple months old she was pushing in a double stroller. Then she had two carts (yes two). She was pulling one as she was pushing the stroller and it had two children in it. Then she had her six year old eldest daughter pushing another one with a child in it. As I was watching her in total awe, and a tiny bit of horror, the wheels of the stroller locked up. Let me just say that my Walmart moment was shared by many that day. There was a collective gasp of horror. No one really knew what to do. Did we go help her? Did she want help? Any woman who braved Walmart with that many babies, a double stroller, and two carts MUST be some sort of super woman. Time froze, and she somehow corralled her busy two year old who was jumping out of the one cart, got the wheels of the buggy straightened out, re propped the propped bottles in the twins mouths, got a firm grip on the cart behind her, and continued chugging with her train. I closed my mouth, started breathing again, and continued on my way. However I never forgot her.
Whenever I go to Walmart I feel like I step into Texas for a moment. Now I have only been to Texas once and I only got off a plane, drove in an airport shuttle, stayed at a hotel, and then was off the next day, but the impression in my mind was that Texans would enjoy Walmart. I seriously sometimes feel like if I just channeled some inner Texan I would enjoy Walmart better. I always have such high hopes from some sort of earth child point of view. Like maybe I'll find something whimsical and beautiful and totally high quality there. Nope not so much. I do SOMETIMES find something cute for a my girls. However it is Walmart cute. Like the super cute, pink, baby girl onesie, with the sparkling gold pineapples all over it. Okay well it SOUNDS hideous but it was cute I promise. And I can always count on Walmart to have bright yellow Minion shirts for all ages and slippers for that matter. Today there was a bald woman in a black bikini buying woolen slippers in front of us. Hows that for a Walmart Moment! I bought minion slippers last Christmas from there just in case anyone needs some I'm pretty sure they have more. I can also count on Walmart for one dollar magnifying glasses (and around here where my two middles dream of being spies that is a big deal) and plastic sheet covers. Walmart has my back in the child's underwear department and gum boots if the thift store doesn't have our needed size. Walmart carries my favorite gold sparkly nail polish for a $1.99 and when I needed a doll stroller that is where I headed. Where I live, Walmart used to be the main part of a mall we had so everyone just called it the Walmart Mall. Now it has moved and it has its own whole plaza.
Whenever I go to Walmart the people watching is truely a treat and the conversations you over hear are priceless. In our Walmart you dont have cell phone reception so people are sort of out of their comfort zone and talking a little more loudly than usual. I think the bright colors, loads of plastic, and sheer volume of choice in anything from lipstick to cat food, cushioned toilet seat covers to windshield wipers, and everything in between, would throw anyone off their game a bit.
Today when we headed for Walmart I specifically asked each child if they felt 'able' to 'handle' Walmart today. Each child responded with yes. However I realized that after about ten minutes in Walmart I start turning into this wild yes shopper. I mean my cart had goggles and minion shirts, matching dresses and fruit snacks and I almost had two 'bed in a bag's' come home with me also. I refrained from plastic minion cups and a huge ball of ten dollar yarn, a massive purple beach ball and a plastic cell phone for the baby. And I really wanted this stuff. The only reason I refrained was because my baby was scratching me and my four year old and eight year old were in the cart so who had room? Not me.
 Who Am I when I go there? Someone I dont even know. Last time I went to Walmart was with my husband and somehow we walked out of there with a $200.00 blender called a Ninja. So basically I came home from Walmart with a Ninja.
Anyway Walmart Moments are really a thing of beauty if you can channel your inner Texan. Take a minute to enjoy the jewelry section or even just the bathing suits and let your eyes be dazzled with color and brilliance. Also, a word to the wise, if you have children that struggle with anxiety...maybe dont take them there. EVER. Unless you are prepared. And I mean PREPARED.
Your welcome

Disclaimer ~ I dont have time to check my grammer and spelling. My baby and other children attack me and my key board while I type and the baby is screaming right now. So if there are massive errors, well, the baby is now biting my feet!!!!!!