Taking a Risk...of sorts

We usually get caught going to Wal-Mart for groceries and other sundries, but occasionally, when I don't want to be tempted by the low-price deals on things I don't really need, we visit the Price Cutter grocery store near our home. Now that I have two kiddos, it is necessary to have some sort of cart arrangement that keeps both confined, whether that be a two-seater, one of those extended carts, or like at Lowe's, a car cart. Price Cutter has car carts, so I thought..."It's almost nap time, Caleb needs a diversion, and maybe that'll be just the ticket to getting in and out without a bad attitude episode." Don't get me wrong, he's usually great, but we have the occasional fatigue related meltdown.

Lo and behold, as we enter the vestibule of the Price Cutter, there are car carts ready and waiting. HOWEVER, there was something even more intriguing... mini carts! I had seen one in the store before and witnessed the cuteness, but also a tantrum by the darling child pushing it who didn't want her mama to tell her where to go. Should I risk it so close to nap time? Could I accurately gauge Caleb's fatigue indicators? I took a deep breath, got his attention for some "If you're going to get to do this, here's what I expect..." preparatory comments and some "If you decide not to obey, here's what will happen to your chance to push a cart" preemptive comments, and took that blind leap of faith.

Let me just say, I love when the "I love to be a helper" attitude of Caleb's kicks in! He did spectacularly, and we didn't even have any "Mama, I'm the leader- you follow me" issues that are so common with Caleb at this age. And can I mention that he was pretty cute while shopping?