Holiday Shopping Extravaganza

Ok, my husband's out of town and I chose not to stop on the way home. Everyone was asleep then. As I doled out dinner, I realized we weren't going to have any milk for the morning. I'm leaving in the a.m. and won't be home for lunch, so we weren't going to have any milk for lunch either. Crap. I have to go to the grocery store. Usually, after dinner, we start our bedtime routine. The girls usually play while I clean up, then we head upstairs for bath and bedtime. Not tonight. The closest grocery store is 10+ minutes away. I figure I will be cutting it close, but we can make it. Then I can't find my keys. What did I do with them. I had them when I got home. WHERE ARE THEY. I throw a fit, a temper tantrum, cussing and fussing as I look. No keys. Where the #*%@ are they. I am running out of time. Finally, I find them hanging on the hook where they belong. Ok, I finally get everyone strapped in, to the store, unstrapped, strapped back in the stroller, rush into the store in the middle of the night (ok, it's actually only 7:15, but it feels like much later to me since I haven't been 'out' this late in about 3.2 years) and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but Santa. Publix is having their holiday extravaganza. I'm not sure that's actually what they called it, but there are special savings all over the store, men in suits (not santa suits) looking very important and free samples everywhere. "There's even shrimp!" Great. I was hoping to spend less time in the store than it actually took to get there. Santa tries to coax Rena to him and I encourage this behavior to no avail. That's ok though, 'cause I really want to get my milk and get out. I turn towards the deli department with my double stroller and shopping cart in tandem, and I kid you not, there are at least 100 people standing there. Seems there's a little choral singing going on. We've just missed the songs and the crowd is beginning to dispurse. It's like the freaking State Fair. I can't move, much less negotiate the stoller and cart. I finally make my way out of the crowd and fill my shopping cart with much more than I came for. Back home with 3 sleepy girls, 4 gallons of milk, and visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.