A Brilliant (yet slightly shortsighted) Plan

I got the idea from a picture in another blog I follow:  Kid not interested in going to the grocery store?  Make them feel included; like they're part of the process.  Let them "shop" alongside you.  How much fun is that?!  So this morning I packed Ava's little plastic grocery cart into the car and headed for Target. 

She was in heaven.  She pushed her cart along behind me, smiling and waving at the other shoppers, only occasionally getting distracted enough by something to try taking off on her own.  And I felt like a genius.  Which, as I'm sure you've picked up on from reading this blog, was bound to be short lived.

Check out her right hand.  She refused to relinquish the car keys.  Drove that cart with one hand the whole time.

 What I neglected to take into account was the fact that - even under the most entertaining of circumstances - toddlers have the attention span of a wooden spoon.  It wasn't long before the cart had been abandoned, and our usual game of Cat and Sparkly-Shoed Mouse was in full swing.  I never win this game. 

After I finally caught up with her - and with far fewer tantrums than usual  - she agreed to ride in my cart and keep track of the grocery list for me. 

Yup, that's her cart in the back of mine.  I was really glad it fit.

We will be attempting this again - if only because my kid looks really cute pushing a tiny plastic grocery cart.