on their best behavior

Today I was almost out of milk, bread, flour, and sugar and the ever necessary ketchup. So, despite the cold and rain I reluctantly piled everyone in the van after the babysitter left and headed out to the Commissary. The kids were not perfect (but they never are), but I let them talk me into buying the milk and meat at the Penn Dutch market (they begged to go because there is a little sweet shop with dozens of different confections).

While the military grocery has hormone-free milk in skim and 1%, I dislike buying my ground meat in pressed cubes that is obtained from who-knows-where. The stuff they sell at the market is hormone, antibiotic, and steroid-free and tastes better than grocery store beef so there is a always a long wait that leaves the kids antsy and liable to be naughty. I figured that since we were just standing around, the two older ones could take their pocket money and buy (with the stipulation that they share) a bag or two of candy by themselves.

They were paying for their purchases when I finished and headed over to get the milk. "Your children are so well behaved," a lady next to me at the cheese counter said, "Your son was helping his little sister pay for her candy. He was really being sweet to her." I told her thanks, and we chatted for a bit and the fact that the kids were homeschooled came up. "Oh, that's why they are so good, because you homeschool!"

It struck me when we got home how much I needed that little bit of encouragement, just like children need a little treat now and then. I have been overwhelmed with school, pregnancy, and keeping up with the house and have been much more grouchy than normal with everyone. Her cheerful comment and a week-long break from school will do me a world of good.

So, while the weather may be frightful, our warm house is delightful, we haven't have any place to go...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!