To market, to market...

We kicked off a fun today with the introduction of a new toy - the Exersaurcer! 

This allowed for a full 20 minutes of independent playtime while mommy and daddy got to drink their coffee and enjoy our daily wake-up ritual of watching stupid videos and pic clips on ebaumsworld.  

JK was initially surprised that the traditional "walker" version of this gear is no longer available and that the exersaucer is stationary.  Then my mom filled him in on a fun story from my childhood when I dismantled a strategically placed chair blockade, allowing my sister, Kim, to take a tumble down the stairs while my mom was cleaning.  My mom's favorite part is where she heard Kim crying and came running; I was sitting watching Sesame Street, completely unconcerned with the fact that my wailing sister was still in the walker, which was lying on it's side at the bottom of the staircase.  Apparently, I was not yet cut out for babysitting duty.

So, Monica had a fun time investigating her safe, stationary exersaucer with it's 360 degree rotating seat. She caught on very quickly and was alternating between watching us and John Stuart, on whom she seems to be developing a crush.  We'll have to keep an eye on that.

As if this wasn't enough fun for one day, Monica and I decided we were going to try something very scary:  We were going to go to the supermarket....ALONE.  Yikes!

Monica has been to the supermarket a couple of times, but always with both mommy and daddy, who take turns alternating between pushing the shopping cart and her stroller.  As the lone adult, this put me in a bit of a predicament because I didn't really see myself effectively pushing/pulling both the stroller and a cart.  I briefly considered putting her in the strap-on baby carrier, but with the bulkiness of both of us bundled in our winter weather gear, this sounded like a recipe for crying.  

Finally, upon arriving at the store, we opted for the ghetto option - I just put her carrier in the large basket of the shopping cart and piled the food around her.  Now, I know there are all these warnings out there about the dangers of shopping carts tipping over, blah blah blah, but let's be honest - the cart itself is probably more stable and less likely to tip over than her actual stroller. 

To my delight, Monica was a lovely little shopping companion and didn't make a peep until we were paying and she was charming the check-out woman.  I think she's trying to use her good looks to score free stuff.  Good girl!

While we did compromise on the overall amount of food we could buy, it was well worth it to avoid the hassle of dragging her in and out of the carseat.  Additionally, this meant that I had to limit my purchases to "real" food, skipping a lot of snacks.  Maybe this will help with getting in shape for summer!  But after this trip, I have to say, I'm REALLY looking forward to (a)warm weather and going out of the house without all these extra layers of clothes, and (b) the days when Monica can ride up front in the shopping cart seat.  All in due time, I know!