Full Hands

“you sure have your hands full”

At the grocery store yesterday we started with the baby in his carrier on the front of the cart. The girls were in the BLUE car on the front of the cart (it had to be blue, I’m just happy they both agree on the color). We head into the produce section, the girls are happily “steering” and the baby is cooing to his toys.

30 minutes later, we’re finishing up with our last couple of things from the frozen section, I’m carrying the baby so he doesn’t cry, steering the car cart with one hand (which is almost impossible, because of the car I can’t grab the front of the cart and just pull it behind me like I would do with a regular cart), explaining to the girls that I can’t steer the cart if they’re both hanging on the outside of it, and some dear sweet lady has the audacity to say “you sure have your hands full”.

Why yes, I DO have my hands full, a baby in one, a cart in the other, and two kids hanging on. Were you referring to the fact that it is physically impossible to hold anything else in my hands? Were you commenting on the fact that I have 3 kids, and you think that ‘s a lot? Do you think it’s not appropriate for my children to be hanging on the outside of the cart (they could be running around the store instead)? Could you think of nothing else to say?

Or the guy that commented “you have your hands full” as I’m trying to walk through the Wal-Mart parking lot with 3 kids. He also felt the need to strike up a conversation about their ages and such as I’m trying to direct them around traffic. Um, yes, I have my hands full, why are we still talking?

It seems like I can’t go anywhere these days without hearing that statement at least once. I just smile and say “yes I do” 🙂 Because, I indeed do have my hand full, literally, I can’t hold anything else. Not that I mind, it just seems like a statement of the obvious to tell me.