The only way to keep em quiet

I was out the other day picking something up at the store. Sans children.
I went to get my wallet out of my purse and out tumbled a plethora of used baby wipes, a soother and small bag of cheerios and rasins. It's funny the things you learn are essential to have before one leaves the house with two little people in tow.
Everytime we go to the grocery store I end up at the checkout paying for a half eaten bag of mini rice cakes or a box of opened granola bars. Whatever works I say. I also find myself doing things my mother did that I swore I'd never do. Like letting my kids play with random Wal-Mart toys. Then stashing them just before we reach the checkout counter. Unless Dustin is with us, who being the more thoughtful of the two of us will actually walk all the way to the other end of the store to put it back. Sigh. Oh the ideas I had in my head before i actually had to parent 24/7. For all those Wal-Mart mothers with screaming children I used to scowl at I apologise. I have joined your ranks. I used to believe I'd know exactly what to do if I found myself in that situation. Until one day there I was going through the check out at Zellers, Ben munching on a opened box of half eaten 'Teddy Grahams'. I actually had the nerve to take them out of his hand in order for the teller to scan the bar code. What proceeded thereafter can only be described as the most horrendous, car-alarm-starting, glass-shattering, ear-drum-breaking shriek I'd ever heard. This was new to both Ben and I this display of emotion. I'm sure the teller thought "sure lady" when I told her he'd never done this before. I couldn't spank him in front of all those people and I certainly couldn't give him the crackers back. I knew that much at least. So, I let him scream. And it's funny. I thought I would care what all those people thought. But I didn't. I knew I didn't give in. And Ben has never done that since and it's been over a year and a half. Maybe though it's because now I bring his own little stash of food that I won't have to take away from him. Either way, we've both wised up.