Schultz Party of Four

I took Jules with me to the grocery store tonight. It was one of those rare moments when she and I get to have alone time, alone-at-the-grocery-with-lots-of-strangers (and the later it be, the stranger they get), but alone none-the-less. In keeping with my children's obsession with all things gummy, she was bribed into sitting in the cart with the promise of gum at the end of the shopping extravaganza. She obliged, reminding me of our agreement with every turn down every new aisle. To entertain myself, beyond the mild entertainment I already get from simply being in a store lined with the bounty of the Iowan Gods we call farmers, I requested 'pirate voice' from her and out would come "hi kids" in the gruffest voice her cords could muster (and that's pretty gruff, you should request it sometime when you're bored, she'll crack you up). At times she had difficulty staying put, for instance every moment I stopped to pick up an item, she had to lunge for the exit and holler "Gum" - but for the most part she was an angel - well, and when we passed the string cheese...she loves her string cheese. I had to plot our exit to avoid the ice cream aisle and the gobs of Easter candy lining aisle 16, but after some stealthy maneuvering we made it to the check-out, she picked her gum with much delight, set it on the conveyor and kicked back in the cart with a smile of pure satisfaction...And much like her older sister has been known to do, a song played through her head that went a little something like this, "Gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum!"

[PS - If you have a second, click that picture and enlarge it to see her eyes, the grocery store fluorescent lighting along with the KU blue t-shirt really works for her]