I just can't believe it!

I went to my local Giant grocery store today for our weekly shopping trip. We usually do this trip either as a whole family or I go and leave daddy home with the kids (it's sometimes my only quiet time during the week). It's been a busy weekend so I made the trip today with baby in tow, leaving daddy home to get things done around the house while J napped.

I quickly realized as soon as I got there this must have been the first time I had ever been to Giant alone with the baby (we shop at 3 different grocery stores). Baby L is just a few months old and isn't sitting up in a shopping cart yet so I keep him in his car seat and pop the seat into the top part of the shopping cart. You know the seat where older kids can sit and buckle themselves in. Much to my surprise, Baby L and his car seat didn't fit! Really? I adjusted it a few times and there was no way this car seat was going to fit safely. I looked around to see if there were other shopping carts. Maybe this one was defective? Maybe they have different size shopping carts? Nope and nope. I had no choice but to put the car seat in the open area of the cart where all of my food goes. Well the car seat took up the entire cart. I even had to put it at a slight angle so it wouldn't rock back and forth when I walked. I started shopping, produce first, and by the time I was done the seat area of the cart was full and there were items tucked around the car seat. Where was I going to put my milk gallon, meat and everything else?

By the time I made it to the checkout line the cart was packed to the rim and the entire bottom rack where the wheels are was stacked with items almost falling off. Then came checkout. Where were all of the bags going to go? I was forced to put the car seat in the seat area of the cart (you remember, where it didn't fit safely). The bagger put all of my groceries in and watched as I could barely control my cart. I was holding the car seat in place because every step I took made it shake and it was angled so high I could barely see over it. The worst part, not a single person offered to help me to my car.

I couldn't believe what a mess this shopping trip was. I mean, aren't mothers one of the biggest if not the biggest percentage of grocery shoppers? How does a grocery store not have a shopping cart that can fit a car seat? I just couldn't believe it!