Strolling around the local supermarket the last Sunday in September… I find myself watching bewildered as staff are busy at work, stocking shelves whilst helping customers with their shopping.  Why is it, every couple of months, when people are finally familiarised with where to find the items they need, the store changes its layout? 

It just seems utterly crazy; like they want to keep everyone on their toes, in suspense of what might be found in the next aisle.  In reality, as a mum of two young boys, personally I find these ‘surprised’ situations to be very stressful.  Inevitably, often I return home missing key essentials from my list replaced with things ‘we just don’t need’ and frankly it is absolute chaos!  

Yes, Autumn’s arrived however this weekend it has felt like a weekend in mid-July.  Saturday spent at a Motorsports event seeing children run around, making the most of the sun, laughing and having fun and today, I’m wearing a t-shirt and sandals!  However, the staff are preparing the aisles to promote different events coming up over the autumn and winter months why does everything have to always be so confusing?? 

Aisle 2 displays a range of ‘Back to School’ end of stock sale… It feels like two minutes ago that my boys went back to school, where has the last month gone! 

Aisle 5 ‘Happy Halloween’, the assistants are fighting with fake cobwebs, trying to hang them off the top shelf, though each time they have managed to do it, they fall back down.  Looking at the row of ‘trick or treats’ placed alongside the various Halloween costumes I find my mind racing trying to remember what we did last year for Halloween.  ‘Oh yes, that was it, we got the pumpkins too early, carved them and they went soft!’ 

Note to self: 

Do not get the pumpkins early this year! 

As I get to the end of the isle there are leaflets promoting ‘Guy Fawkes, Bonfire Night’ and the range of fireworks that will be on sale.  This leaves me thinking about what we may do as a family to celebrate Bonfire night.  Last year the local display was on too late for Harry and because of this while I stayed at home, dad took Tom to watch the display.  This year, again, it falls on a Sunday night… the night before school! 

What do we do? I am deep in thought, both are at school the next day, hubby is working, I visualise taking them both to this year’s display and sheer panic sets in.  It’s going to be loud, busy, dark and what if I lose one of the boys in the crowds?  But on the other hand, I don’t want them to feel like they will miss out, especially going to school the next day when other children in class are talking about it. 

Already I am starting to worry about bonfire night and the idea of taking the boys to a massive firework event, I can feel the panic starting to rise in my stomach, STOP.  Telling myself to calm down, there’s more pressing things that I need to think about ‘What did I come in for? recall… ingredients for a Sunday dinner’. 

 So that’s three months covered already and it’s only been twenty minutes.  I find myself stopping at the clothing section and looking through the lounge wear on sale, brushed cotton checked bottoms and an oversized cosy jumper to match.  The crazy thing about it is that whilst it’s still a warm day outside, another lady and I are both looking at the clothes and commenting on the lovely winter range already in store. 

Already subconsciously I feel like I’m wishing the months away…. 

Remember, there are always solutions and after all Bonfire Night, it’s five weeks away! 

 

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