Baby In The Check-Out

Picture from Google Images

It was a busy day at the grocery store yesterday.  I usually go to one of the self-checkout lanes because rarely do I have more than a few items.  Most of my food comes from local farms, even through the winter.  But this day all the self-checkout lanes looked full, and some were two or three carts deep.  Scanning down to the end, it looked like only one cart in the furthest self-checkout lane, so that's where I headed.

Pulling up behind what looked like a young mother, father, and infant child, as evidenced by the little legs and feet, sitting in one of those carrying car seats in their cart. They had just begun the checkout process, mom scanning and dad bagging their items.  It looked like they had done this before, worked as a team at the grocery store, while their infant waited.

Within minutes I could sense the child becoming restless, his little legs beginning to stretch, pushing his little feet out, and raising his little arms as if he was reaching for something.

So I stepped around my cart and started talking to him,

"Hi there!  Aren't you a sweetheart!  How are you doing today?  Nice day, isn't it?  Out shopping with mom and dad, are you?  It can get a little boring, waiting for them and all.  But they're almost done."

The infant immediately turned and looked at me, his eyes widening, as if he was curiously scrutinizing me, and listening intently.

Mom looked up and smiled at the two of us for a moment, while she continued scanning her grocery items.  I asked her how old he was, then turned to him again, 

"You're four months old?!  You've been on the planet for four months now!  So how do you like it so far?  Looks like life is going pretty good for you."

Again mom looked up with a slightly surprised smile, and told me that he had a six-and-a-half year old sister who adores him.  That she loved to play with him.  Again, I turned to him and said,

"A six-and-a-half year old sister?!  How cool is that?!  You two probably got together before you came here and planned this all out, didn't you?  Yup."

At this point the child was beaming with smiles and beginning to "talk back."

"You're probably going to miss that sister of yours when she goes back to school.  But, you'll still see her.  And besides, one day you'll be starting school too, unless, of course, your mom decides to home-school you, which is a possibility too."

Mom looked up again, and she was smiling and nodding.  She and dad were almost done with their checking out.  She told me that her son was usually a very good and happy child, except when they weren't "moving."  So checking out at the grocery store, where he has to just sit for several minutes, was the most challenging time for him, and them.  She thanked me for "occupying him" for the last several minutes.  I told her that it was truly my pleasure.  

With warm hearts, we said our goodbyes and well-wishes, and they headed off on their next adventure as I began mine.