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As many of you know–I’ve been playing The Grocery Game over the last several months.  I shop at both Kroger and Publix since both are about 2 minutes from our house and each seems to have better prices on particular items that we use on a regular basis.  What I’ve found is that basically Kroger has slightly better everyday prices on most of the things we use but that Publix has much better sales when things are on sale.  The biggest gap between the two (at least the two stores near my home) is that shopping at Publix is generally a pleasant experience and Kroger has almost non-existant customer service.  Today’s example of this is exasperating because I have to go back out in the rain with my nine month old after his nap to correct someone else’s mistake.  I checked out at Kroger and used several coupons, all of which were scanned by the cashier (who said nothing to me at the time to indicate that anything didn’t scan and kept all the coupons I handed him, which also generally means that they were successfully used), and then we ran out into the rain trying to get in the car as quickly as possible.  I usually stick the receipt in my pocket so I can look at in the car (because of previous issues with it being charged too much), but today I stuffed it in a bag as I was loading everything.  When I got home I realized that three of my coupons were not honored–totalling $4.10.  Now this is not a lot of money, but when you consider it as a percentage of my total bill and the fact that I only bought the items I did because they were on sale and I had a coupon in addition, you’re talking about a fair amount of money.  I guess it’s partly my fault for not checking the receipt when I got in the car (there’s just no way anymore to check things as they’re being run through because with Liam around I’m generally loading everything slower than the cashier is ringing it up)–but when I called I got a fair amount of attitude from the “customer service” person who answered the phone and my guess is that I’m going to get it again when I go back this afternoon.  My gut reaction is to say that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back and that I’m done with Kroger–but that feels a bit like cutting off my nose to spite my face–on the other hand I don’t like to give my money to a store that has such a sorry excuse for customer service.

Thoughts?  Suggestions?

ETA: I just got back from the Kroger (where I was given $4.10 in cash, thanks very much!) and I learned several things:

1: There is at least one nice person working at the customer service desk in the Kroger near our house.

2: You do, in fact (and contrary to the belief of some people I know…), catch more flies with honey…

3: Liam apparently thinks that pouring rain is hilarious.  Now this could be due to the fact that in his 9 months of living he’s never seen it rain beyond a sprinkle, but still–it was pretty entertaining to watch.

If you are:

A) Feeding your child in a seat that’s attached to the table

and

B) The table is covered with plastic bags

and

C) Your child enjoys the crinkling sound that plastic bags make when they move

and

D) Your child is currently mastering cause and effect

and (possibly most important)

E) Your child is Liam

The only conceivable result is a child who is bobbing and weaving at such a frantic pace as to ensure yogurt up his nose.  Which brings me to Parenting Lesson #858: Yogurt Sneezes are no fun for anyone involved.

Today we’ve had poop, blood, and vomit.  Nothing like a bodily fluid triple play to make a great Saturday!

Unfortunately I’m not referring to a movie.

This morning Liam had his first self-induced bloody injury.  I was sitting at the kitchen table and he was playing at my feet.  All of a sudden he face-planted and bit it (quite literally) on the hardwood floor.  He started screaming (‘bloody’ murder, of course) immediately and when I looked down I saw my precious boy with blood all over his hands and face.  At first I couldn’t figure out where the blood was coming from (and I never did find out exactly, because he wasn’t too keen on my rooting around to find the spot from which the blood was flowing) but as I began furiously wiping blood from his hands and face it became clear (especially after I took out the pacifier) that it was coming from his gums.  I know that there will be many more cuts and scrapes (especially, I’m afraid, with this kid) but I have a feeling that each one will hurt me in a different way–but just as much–as it does him.

This morning Liam thought it would be fun to pull up on the door handle to the oven, slightly opening it.  Then–when that wasn’t thrilling enough–he decided that he’d like to see what happens when he tries to turn the stove knobs.  Then when I said No to him he sat down on the floor, bent over at the waist and put his face on the ground and cried.  I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t use the oven or the stove in the morning…

What is it, exactly, about Matt walking out the door that has a laxative effect on Liam?

Let me tell you, you do not want to run across one of these guys at mile 3 of an 8 mile run. The guy (copperhead) that I found I think was dead, although you couldn’t tell unless you poked him with a stick and then dragged him out of the road using that stick. For those of you that don’t know, Shannon and I are training for a half-marathon on Thanksgiving. As part of our training, we run a “long run” each weekend that has been steadily building in length. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles, which seems possible now that we have each run an 8-miler. I track my runs using a somewhat buggy website, but here is a link to the route I ran today. 

Today Liam climbed the stairs–and no, I don’t mean in my arms–he climbed the stairs of his own accord.  Matt and I were both standing there just sort of waiting to see what he would do and if we hadn’t been there he would have gone backwards off the stairs onto his head.  The problem is that the stairs to our family room don’t have a railing or balustrades on the side from which you enter the room so there’s no place to put a gate.  What should we do so that we can still enjoy our family room with Liam sans playpen?

I have to stop writing now because Liam is trying to eat the cord that goes from the telephone to the wall.  I guess you’ll need to use our cells if you need to contact us because I’m going to have to unplug that, too–at least our electricity bills will eventually go down as we gradually unplug everything in our house and put a child-safety stopper in the outlets…

…but he actually ate several puffs (finger food) today after about a month of trying to get him to understand that food can come in forms outside of jars and bottles.  I’m not sure he’ll ever drink from a sippy cup, however.  He loves to drink water from my water bottles and cups and he’ll drink it from a sippy without the lid (with my help) but he seems to think that the handles on the sippy cup are there solely for throwing it across the room.  I just hope he gets there soon, because he’s drinking fewer and fewer bottles and he needs the hydration.  I guess I’ll wait to worry about it until after his 9 month appointment which is coming up very soon.