If you give Zoey a shopping list...

...she'll probably want to dress up before leaving for the "grocery store".

Zoey's latest favorite game in the whole world is playing grocery store. This involves Mommy lining a good portion of the carpet with her plastic food, then preparing for our trip to the "store".

First, of course, we have to dress up. This morning, capes meant for haircuts, funky hats, and plastic heels were all the rage.

Next, we select our purse, making sure we have the essentials--car keys and some type of card that we'll pay for our food with. Today Zoey opted to purchase her groceries with my Oregon Nursing License, which is conveniently shaped like a credit card. We also remember to grab our reusable grocery bag. Because we're very hip and eco-friendly like that.

Then we are off to the "store". Zoey drives her grocery cart like a maniac (she gets that from her Daddy) and rushes to find every item I call off from her "list". Then, when I tell her that's it, she loads all remaining food items in to her cart, despite the fact that I have explained WE DON'T BUY THINGS THAT AREN'T ON THE LIST over and over again. But every time, without fail, she liquidates the store's inventory. We're working on that.

Nearly through with our own exciting version of Winco shopping, we approach the 25 cent cash register that Zoey and I were both ecstatic to find at a garage sale recently. We've arrived at Zoey's very favorite part of the whole game--"beeping" her groceries. She painstakingly rubs each plastic item against the cash register, gives it a loud "BEEP!", then tosses it in to her worn paper Nordstrom shopping bag. After a long process involving punching all available buttons and banging the cash door open and closed several times, she declares herself to be all done. I then give her a "total" for her groceries, and she swipes my plastic nursing license alongside the cash register. We're finished.

Once back to Zoey's play kitchen, we decided which items need to be refrigerated and which can go back in the wicker basket in her "pantry".

And then we're done with the game. And most days, we start the process all over again immediately after.

Sadly, Zoey's doll, Cindy, was unable to join us in playing today, as she was being naughty and therefore placed in a long time out on the stairs. I think she's still sitting there, actually. Too bad, Cindy! You missed out!