I'm Blaming Cade...and My Mom

I am blaming them because I don't want to feel as stupid as I would if I accepted responsibility for my actions.

This past Friday I bought fruit at my local grocery store. It was containers of mixed fruit. Cade loves different fresh fruit and I despise having to cut it, etc. So, this works for both of us. However, within a day, it was looking pretty sad. I looked at the date and on both containers and it said USE BY 2-23-08. Hmmmm.... Last Friday was 2-23-08. So, the fruit that I bought, expired on the same day I bought it. Bummer. So, I dumped it. I figured it was my mistake for not looking at the date on the container when I bought it--and knowing that I should have looked since it is a very slow grocery store that probably doesn't sell a lot of anything much less fresh fruit.

So, today Mom, Cade, and I walked to the store I work in. The larger containers of the fruit medley Cade likes was on sale. Great! Grabbed a container of that, a red bell pepper (which Cade called an apple and demanded he hold), and a gallon of milk...we were ready to leave. I was putting the groceries on the belt to pay, Mom pointed to Cade who was biting into the red pepper like it really was an apple. Luckily he likes red peppers, but still...he was REALLY angry when we took it away so I could pay for it. He got ice cream on the way home, so he survived.

I made dinner tonight and pulled out the container of fruit to put some on Cade's plate. I just happen to look at the date on the top (no, I didn't look in the store) and noticed it said USE BY 2-26-08. Lovely. So the fruit I bought today, basically expired YESTERDAY! Why didn't I look? Here is where I am putting the blame...

• Cade is sick and is miserable...and making me unable to think properly.

• Mom should have reminded me (yes, I am a "grown-up" but I am still her daughter) to look at the date. In Mom's defense, she stuck with Cade and I all day--so her brain was also probably fried from the screams of a sick 18 month old. Thanks for hanging out with us, Mom!

So, there you go. Mom and Cade are to blame for my expired fruit purchase. I think this one I will take back tomorrow. It was my error partly, but it also should not have been on the shelf! Right?!