Peace and happiness and lemon gelato.

One of the first things I do when coming back from a trip:

Go through the fridge.

After tossing all the stuff that went bad in ten days (in Hawaii, food has a much shorter shelf-life, period), I realized we had zero vegetables. When I don't have vegetables, I feel like my fridge is naked. I feel like I have no food, no matter how many beans and cans and cupboard food we have. I can't rest easy until I clothe that fridge.

Since the farmer's market is 3 days away (and the one I like the best is 5 days away), I knew we were going on a town trip if I wanted local and/or organic produce.

Town trips are torturous with kids. There's the fact that my boy cries the second you put him in the car seat and never falls asleep no matter how long the ride is. Then you've got diaper bags, bathroom pit stops, kicking the back of the seat... Add shopping to that equation and you're bound to come back with a headache.

Since we live an hour away, Moze and Amaya demand a snack in the car after our exhausting shopping. This is the only way to make town trips bearable. If we get through it, lunch is our reward.

Amaya had a pretzel roll sandwich with gorgonzola spread, salami, and veggies. She generously saved half for Jake. Moze had milk. He was a bit distracted and was trying to decide if he could have some sandwich instead.

We hung out in the car, ate, talked, took pictures. Afterwards we went back into the store to pee before our long trip back (because shopping trips must involve no less than 5 ins and outs of the car). I decided that a lemon gelato couldn't hurt either.

Amaya, I hope that spilling lemon gelato on your shirt will always be a good day.
Moze, I will love you even if you grow out of those blue eyes, but I sure do like them.

How do you make shopping with kids bearable?