Errands with Brayden

Today was mommy and Brayden day.  The nurse had moved her hours around so it was just me today.

Brayden and I had two tasks:  Home Depot and Grocery store.  Let me tell you, I was getting an abundance of sympathy help today.  I actually had to turn people away because I had enough help.

Home Depot.  Many things on my list for Brayden's new room; from little things like drawer pulls to the big things like a toilet.  A few steps into the store and I had a personal shopper dressed in his Home Depot apron.  This worker pulled my carts around the store, loading in all that I needed.  And being ever so patient as I hummed and hawed over important decisions like which door stopper looked best.  Then it was check out time and another helper appeared.

While filling my carts, I was wondering how in world could I fit this and a toilet in the back of my car?  I did have Brayden's wheelchair and it was not going to be easy.

I rolled Brayden out of the store, followed by one worker with one cart and the other with my other cart; all to discover that it was pouring down rain.  Did I mention I loathe loading Brayden and his chair in the rain?  Three different people stopped to offer me help.

I decided to fold down the back seats but first I had to load Brayden.  Then I crawled into the back of my car with a Home Depot worker to fold down the seats.  Then the loading began.  Last item in was the wheelchair because I needed it for grocery shopping.  The wheelchair was soaking wet by this point.

Off to the grocery store.  This could be pushing the limits of my car's capacity and Brayden's patience or could turn out to be a successful day of errands.

We sat in the grocery store parking lot waiting for the rain to pass.  Then I unloaded his wheelchair and dried it off with his blankets.  Grocery shopping is always interesting since with one hand I am pushing his wheelchair and the other hand is pulling the cart behind me (kind of obnoxious and taking up way too much space).

The grocery store was a success minus the angry lady in the store motorized scooter; who seemed filled with the power of the scooter and proceeded to take down anyone in her way whether with words or the actual scooter.  And we seemed to be in the same shopping pattern, crossing paths many times.  I avoided all eye contact and tried my best to get Brayden out of her way.

Out in the parking lot, almost every person that passed asked if I need any help (did I look that pitiful because I was actually feeling good).  It is refreshing to have strangers offer their assistance.  Maybe taking Brayden out for errands isn't so bad after all.

The car was loaded down, every available space was being used in the front and back.  Once we arrived home, I did not anticipate the amount of time it would take me alone to empty the car since along the way I had so many people helping.