Hark, To the Store!

Joey was up and ready, JoeyAndyDad and Andy were not, so I decided to take Joey with me to the grocery store this morning. Impromptu adventure awaited! Working on life skills 1:1, while get the grocery shopping done! It's a win-win!

He insisted on taking his shovel with him (by the way- anybody need sand pails? We just need the shovels. I've quite a collection now). We made our list of needfuls, got ourselves to the store, and proceeded to the adventuring. Joey was happy to pick out his own grapes, bananas, and apples for the week. He was excited to discover we were also shopping for Grandma, and he got to pick out her weekly treat (coconut danishes!) There was a train to watch for a while, and people to talk to, and the cart to push.

Happy boy.

But also anxious boy. People to talk to means people everywhere, and not all of them are happy to talk. Some might bump into you. You might bump into them. The store has high ceilings and wide spaces. The lighting is odd, high and flickering, dimmer some places, brighter in others. The din of the people and carts and music is constant. You are surrounded by a new place, full of unexpected surprises.

What better way to get through this than by singing and dancing, right?

So my boy and I sang "Bare Necessities" through the store, together. And sometimes, Joey did his Baloo dance. And when he started getting tired, he started making up sillier lyrics for the tune. I took the cue, got in line, and got us out of there, even though there were a few more things I wanted. Success for Joey- a pleasant trip to the grocery store- was far more important.

So I leave you with a new image- my boy and me, singing away as we thread through the supermarket aisles. We make a great team.