Trauma at the supermarket!!!.......

For the last week or so, Ellie and Harri have been busy with an Easter Coloring Competition from the supermarket. Entry for the competition closed yesterday, so as well as doing our weekly shop, the kids were excited to go and check out how they went - "and pick up our prizes" (they excitedly informed me). I knew they weren't winners as they would have been notified by phone, but I didn't give it much thought or I would have prepared them a bit. (Such a terrible mother!!) I did toss about the occasional quip that there would be many entries, don't get too excited, etc etc. but you can't dent children's enthusiasm sometimes.
All the pictures were up in the front window of the supermarket and Ellie and Harri could hardly contain themselves. They bounced up and down in front of the pictures looking for their own, saying things like "ooh that one's quite good", "I think mine's better" etc. When they found their own pictures and realised they hadn't won any prizes, Harri turned to me with the saddest little face and said, "oh no mummy, that makes us real losers" and both of them began to cry.
After a group hug and a therapy session, we went off to do our groceries. We had nearly finished the shopping, I was buying bread and Harri was looking at some rabbit-shaped, marshmallow cakes. Ellie wandered over to Harri and said, "you must never eat a supermarket cake Harri, they cause cancer". (Ellie said later that she had heard it on the radio!!!)
Poor old Harri looked completely devastated. It was all too much for him so he said, "can we just go home mum, I'm done here."
Amen to that!