India in Trader Joes

It dawned on me today when I was leaving my monthly trip to T.J's that I should write about my experiences with India there. It is one of the things that makes her who she is and so unique from the other two. I would say that out of my three experiences with raising 3 different girls, that India has been soooooo easy. I don't know how much of this is because of her personality and how much of it is because I am feeling like a pro after 9 years of being a mom (on good days that is). But shopping is the one thing that is NOT easy with India. Today went smooth for the most part. I have learned to ALWAYS take her on a full stomach. That has drastically reduced her whining for everything she sees. "Nanny!" for bananas, "bapples" for apples, "deeeeez" for cheese, "tweet" for treat... you get the picture. So today...maybe she only whined for the "nannies." She is also usually trying to stand up in the cart as soon as I turn my back. So I have learned to check the buckle to make sure that it isn't broken before I put her in there...and I tighten it, otherwise whe will be standing, and stuck and, well... even more of a falling hazard! I can't tell you how many stories I have heard from strangers of how they have seen kids fall on their heads or that their own child fell on their head. I appreciate the concern, really, I do...but for heavens sake, when I am already stressed over my child not sitting down, it doesn't make it easier to have to listen to these people's stories!! Anyhow, I have to mention my favorite part of T.J.'s being the sample table. I fill a cup of "tweets" for India to munch on while I fill up my mini portion sized coffee (which I always have a hard time figuring out how much sugar to add in that small of a cup). I stand there and enjoy my 3 gulps of joe while India munches on her cookies, cereal, or whatever they happen to be handing out. It is kind of a "take a second to breathe" moment. And then I gather my mental list together for the second half of the store. After filling my cart to overfloweth (like I said, I go once a month), I stand in the shortest line to check out. The whole time we are waiting, India is pointing at everything she wants to get her hands on (there are usually "tweets" right at her eye level). While being checked out, India gets all cute and hands the items to the cashier and says "heeeeer ya gooooooo!" The cashier talks to her the whole time and thinks she/he has won over a friend....but then the most terrible thing happens! At trader joes, the cashier pulls the cart around their side of the isle. I think in India's mind, 'that mean old nasty cashier who I just gave all mama and my food to is now deciding she/he wants me too!'- I quickly reassure her that she is coming right back to me, and the distraught cashier is whispering (or sometimes mouthing) "does she want a baloon?" I gladly reply, "please?!" and within moments India is handed her air filled latex ball. With a big smile, she signs and says "tankoo" to the cashier, and off to the car we go. She yells "weeeee, weeeeee, boooon, weeeeee, weeeeee, booooon..." the whole way home.