June 15, 2010

The Mighty Walmart Cart Train

With my other half being out of town for a couple days, and our household entering its third week of no grocery shopping, it was time to make a quick trip to the store for some emergency supplies.

Like milk, bread, and frozen pizza.

Walmart is closest so I decided I would just make a quick stop there.

We had just survived our second T-ball game of the day and the kids were tired and grouchy. Wait... maybe that was just me? Any any rate I decided to whip out my ole' cart train trick and load up the kids.

I ignored the stares, pointing, and whispering on my behalf, which I confess I usually rather enjoy reveling in as the stares and gaping mouths make me feel like a celebrity passing through their humble midst. (okay, not really) I wanted to make this a quick in and out trip.

I was pulling my cart train along when I suddenly heard a rather loud, "Ma'am?"

Not sure if someone was talking to me or the other fifteen women shoppers passing by, I went ahead and turned figuring if the shout out was for me it was likely one of the kids had thrown a shoe into some poor passerby's cart. Or worse, their eye.

Instead, there stood a young man, a Walmart employee, staring right at me.

With a big smile on his face, he gave me a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Now THAT is genius at its finest!"

Gosh, what a nice thing to say! I laughed and gave him a big smile in return.

That's when I remembered this post about the Walmart cart train and the many comments I received about it. A light bulb went off in my head just then, as it manages to do from time to time, and I remembered that I had my camera in the diaper bag thanks to T-ball.

So I whipped it out a snapped a couple quick shots since my batteries were about to die.

So without further ado, the moment you've all kept reading my blog for, behold, the mighty Walmart Cart Train!








Okay okay, so it actually doesn't look all that impressive in this picture. Looks like nothing more than a couple of carts standing close together.

Perhaps it only looks impressive when being pulled?

At any rate, here's the secret. Close the child seat in one cart and use the strap to hook around the front of your second cart! It maneuvers surprising well and stays in line with each other.







And this, dear friends, is why I even attempt to venture forth with all four of them.

Oh ya, and the gaping mouths. Those are always worth the hassle.

46 super cool people speak:

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

That is why I love you!
Yup.
Cuz when we have to venture forth with just our belongings on our backs to Jackson County....I know you'll figure out a way to get more stuff by your genius cart attaching skillz! I know how you love high heels and you aren't going to want to be without a couple of dozen pairs.

You are amazing.

Gina said...

That is awesome. I have three kids, and the youngest is still in a car seat, so I've been using the humongous three-kid cart (you know with the giant plastic double seat in the front, like the station wagon of shopping carts) and panicking about what I will do if I have another or if he outgrows the baby seat too fast.

Now I know what I will do- THANK YOU!

Kristina P. said...

Haha, this is ingenious!

Neisha said...

what a great idea!! :)

Living the Scream said...

I am so doing that next time I am at Walmart.

Saimi said...

What a smart mommy!!

Heather S said...

i LOVE it! we have 4 kids. (6,5,4,2-1/2) while the older 2 COULD walk on their own, it's much better for everyone (mostly me) if they are all contained inside!

I'll have to try this next time.. it isn't like we don't get stares dragging 4 kids along anyways! :)

p.s. i'm gonna add you to my blog roll, so i don't miss anymore awesome posts!

Brittney said...

you are just plain awesome.

and those are some cute kids.

Kam said...

How clever is that! Definitely something I'm going to try out when I have more kids. I would have been smiling big if I ever saw something like that at Walmart, so clever!

Cluttered Brain said...

oh man! you are definitely the clever one!
milk bread and frozen pizza, yup that is essential, that AND chocolate. Right?

Mama Smith said...

WHERE WERE YOU when I was carting "7" children around (long before the 8th one came along...) OH...YEAH...you were one of them I was carting around in ONE cart...(Yeah, I know...no room for much in the cart...)

The Momma said...

Haha love it! You're going to start a huge "Cart Train" phenomenon. I could have used that last night with just my two kids, my oldest was getting lost under the piles of groceries around him.

Cassie said...

Your so smart. I am so doing this even if I have my husband and telling my boys they can ride in the train! They totally would "fall" I mean like that! Love it. I wonder when we play you guys in t-ball that will be fun (I guess what name is your team)!

Lisa said...

No, THIS is why you were entrusted with four children under five. Cuz Heavenly Father knew you'd make a Walmart train and revel in your journey.

Jocelyn Christensen said...

ooh, the post i have been long awaiting! thank you!

Carrie said...

Holy freak'n crap. Genius!

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

You are a freaking genius!!! No kidding.

I wish I would have thought of that!

Next time for sure we are trying this out!

That cake below is sinful!!! :)

bingham 5 said...

The train is awesome - but I am more impressed by your bravery of taking all the kids to the store at the same time!

Polly Blevins said...

amazing. I have pushed one and pulled the other to make a kind of train but this is much easier. Thank you.

E said...

I can only hope to reach your prowess at some point--4 kids out in public, together, by myself--only on a day when I am feeling expecially crazy but now I know how to at least attempt it1

dieMutti said...

Two words: Bless you. Seriously! I've tried taking my four and having two of them walk next to the cart. Or using the "cool cart" (the blue plastic with two seats) but then I still need a place for two more. This is pure genius! And like others have said, I get enough stares taking all of them to the store, I may as well have a cart train! I'm not sharing this with my husband though, because he wants a bazillion more kiddos and once we have a two-cart train, he'll just recommend adding on more carts...

Lisa @ Pulsipher Page said...

Why have I never done this? Genius.

Nicole said...

I think I'm going to try that next time I go to the store alone with the kids. I already get stares and whispers and we only have 3!

Pitterle Postings said...

Oh I so love this! I wish I had thought of it back when I only had six! Instead, they would run up and down the isles, slide into other shoppers and knock over the stacks of cans on the end! If someone said "Hey mame" I took off running! It usually meant that one of the boys had done something he was not supposed to do!!! Oh and by the way, they will so NOT remember this the same way that you do. Good thing you have a picture to show them.

Susan Anderson said...

The extent of your motherly expertise is astounding.

Heroic, even.

;)

PS. And I don't think Mr. Walmart's use of word "genius" was excessive. Not even close.

mCat said...

Even though I don't NEED to do the cart train, I am totally building one next time at Walmart. Just cause it looks so cool

Kazzy said...

Brilliant! And your little engineers are adorable too. :)

Lara Neves said...

Oh phewsh! I thought you were going to get in trouble for sure!

You are very smart!

I really hate taking the kids to shop. At least all of them. I wish they weren't too big for the train! :)

amber_mtmc said...

Oh my gosh, Serene. I second the employee in your PURE GENIUS idea!! This is one of those things that I will store for future use. Ah, what the heck. I may start using it now just because I LOVE being stared at. ; )

Krista said...

I wish I would have thought of this. You just need one of those annoying train whistles to top it off. Oh, ma'am is spelled like that. It's short for "madam." I'm just full of useless information and I'm kind of a spelling freak. I love pressing spell check and it says, "No misspellings." Did you know misspell is one of the most misspelled words in the English language. Crazy, I know.

Unknown said...

Inspiration. Wow! Maybe I can have 4 now?

Krista said...

P.S. I used to think ma'am was short for "mammories." Made sense. Could totally see it in the slave era.

Unknown said...

HA! This is amazing. That's one cute train. BTW, I got the gaping mouths all the time. My mom always acted like a stranger when that happened.
Toodles!

Jen said...

So I have no idea who you are, but I saw this little link on FaceBook about making it fun to take kids to the store, and I HAD to check it out. I have to tell you, I LOVE IT! I only have 2 kids, but even then it would be helpful to have one cart for groceries and one for the whining child whose "legs hurt too bad to walk anymore!" Hope you don't mind that a stranger checked out your cute blog! Thanks for the tip :)

Scrappy Girl said...

I think it is totally genius! I am SO thankful for those buggies with the blue seats attached in front of the buggy for my 2...so nice to have a WHOLE buggy to fill. My 2 littles are 4 and 5 but they turn into MONSTERS when we enter Walmart. Manga Dork says it is the Demon Dust they blow on them as we are walking in.

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

Jen: As long as you are a nice person, which I'm sure you are, I don't mind at all!! The more the merrier!

Everyone else: I'm totally digging being called a genius. Please feel free to comment a second time and feed my ever growing ego. ;D

Charlotte said...

You are pure genius, which is weird because yesterday I was sure you were pure evil...

How did I get almost through with preschoolers without figuring this out on my own? Now that summer is here again, with all the kids home, I may need to employ this knowledge.

(I love all the gaping looks of complete astonishment when I take my kids out, too.

Braden Bell said...

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

Mommy Melissa said...

So awesome! Serene, I don't know if I would have ever figured this out on my own, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to give it a try in the future. With the long hours Boe works, I either have to take the kids with me all the time, or go late at night. Reed like to sample the produce while I shop. This would totally solve that problem. So glad I know a genius!

Evelyn @ Hanging by a Silver Lining said...

You know, I was totally going to post something about those stupid huge carts at walmart the other day! Maybe...I should just try this technique instead and save myself the embarrassment of those nasty buses.

Wendy said...

You know I've done this same thing too!! Only when I do my major shopping for the family sometimes it requires two baskets and when I'm the only one there, I just hook them together and off I shop. But how lucky for you that you got such a great complement.

The Kooky Queen--Rachel said...

What a great idea!!! I love that!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely LOVE that idea! I have three girls and having the two oldest walk is sometimes more a chore then shopping itself.

Marcie said...

The other day I was at the store with my six and had the same thought--to have a post about grocery shopping, but I didn't have my camera. Now I'm actually looking forward to when we need to go again just so that I could take a picture of them. :) But it wasn't going to be like what you did. I'll have to try that.

Cannwin said...

wow. do any of the walmart people comment? Or try to tell you not to? I can see mine doing that, but maybe I will try next week!

My boys always want to sit in the cart and I never have enough room for groceries and them. I think you've saved my shopping trips!

Anonymous said...

I already commented but I wanted to say that I loved the idea so much I remembered it today when I went to the grocery store and then blogged about it. I linked back to this post and your blog because I think it's just such an awesome idea. My girls loved it today! Thanks for the idea!

If you want to see the post that I linked back to here it is here. http://www.oneguyinahouseofgirls.com/2010/07/30-days-of-me-day-6.html

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