A Camel, Really?

One day a few weeks ago, I went to the grocery with all four of my boys.  Usually, I try to go with only one or two of them…gives them a little “individual” attention and helps me keep my composure while I am shopping.  {grin} The ultimate treat is to go alone after everyone is asleep.   It’s just easier that way.  However, there are times when we all simply have to go.  Brad has been working tons of hours the past several weeks…working all day and then returning to his office after our little ones are tucked in for the night.  The thought of my children being hungry seemed worse than going shopping with all of them, so off we went! 

The boys are typically well behaved.  Before we unbuckle seatbelts, I tell them exactly what we are going to do and how I expect them to behave.  This leaves no questions or room for misunderstandings once we are inside the grocery store.  The greatest challenge in shopping with all four boys is the logistics.  Caleb and Matthew need to be in a cart…and I am not so good at managing two shopping carts and two boys on foot.  So, when everyone is along for the shopping trip – we head to Kroger.  The lovely folks at that store offer a cart with two seats for babies in some of their carts.  The ultimate Johnson-mobile is the shopping cart with two baby seat up front and a brightly colored plastic car for Luke to sit in down below.  I really need to take a picture of this sometime.  It’s really too cute! 

So, back to the day we went shopping a few weeks ago… 

I had Caleb (the lightest weight twin by 5 lbs) in the carrier on my back, I was carrying Matthew in my right arm, holding Luke’s hand with my left arm – and Sam was holding Luke’s other hand.  We were walking into the store to get to our shopping cart when a nice middle-aged man approached us and said to me, “ Wow!  You look like a camel!”  I think I must have looked shocked, because he immediately followed that comment with, “You have so many good helpers.”  A camel.  Really?  Sam immediately looked at me and giggled.  He has been laughing about it for days now.

A camel?  Really? {grin}