I know better, really. I avoid Dollar stores like crazy, because i know how quickly those dollars add up. But tonight, I felt generous, and guilty.
You see, I promised the kids that if they were on their super duper best behavior while I ran an errand, and didn't make me want to leave them in the parking lot of Target, I would let them each pick out something from the Target $1 spot, a very fun and affordable (usually candy-free) treat. win/win/win, right?
except for when they are switching out inventory and there is nothing worth looking at in the $1 spot.
i loaded up 3 disappointed kids into the car, promising something good. something fun, something exciting, and realized that in all of my promising, i had over commited on my end, and nothing short of Chuckee Cheese would satisfy the kids now. And knowing how much I hate Chuckee Cheese, I scoured every strip mall between Target and home, looking for ANYTHING that would turn the kids boring day into a super fun one.
and I spotted a Dollar Tree.
we walk in and the kids are mesmerized. this is the BEST. PLACE. EVER. there are lots of school supplies, and Elmo sticker books and light up toys, and CANDY! Halloween and other fall decorations are coming out, reminding kids of one of our favorite seasons approaching, and the kids are just so happy.
I announce that they can each choose TWO things, instead of one, which results in outcries of "BEST MOMMY EVER" and "HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE" (i'm lucky that my kids are pretty easy to please).
Annabelle, after much deliberation, decides on a toy trumpet and two toy flutes (to go with her favorite new yard sale find...a pink Barbie guitar!) She is going to start an amazing band and needs all of the instruments that she can find.
Julian buys a two pack of remote control type cars and a cell phone.
Ezra picks about 30 things, but fortunately, his chubby hands can only carry 2 or 3 things. He ends up going with a light up baton, that he uses like an old man cane, and a mylar balloon, declaring "Get Well Soon". He also carries a pink Bugs Bunny ball that I secretly slide to the end of the counter, shaking my head to the boy behind the counter in the universal way of saying "I don't want this, but I don't want the baby to know that we aren't getting this".
The kid behind the counter hasn't learned this sign language, and holds the ball up in front of Ezra asking, "You don't want this?" thanks, man. thanks a lot.
We are all mostly happy and ready to go, and as I am digging in my purse for the hefty $6.35, I realize that my wallet must have fallen out in the car. I leave Annabelle and Julian next to the register with the goods, (as a line of probably 15 people wait ever so patiently for me to return).
Ezra and I run to the car to grab the wallet. When I return and pay, Annabelle told me that if anybody had tried to hurt them while I was gone for 7 seconds, they were going to bludgeon them with Ezra's light up baton. I loved that they took safety precautions while I was out of sight for such a short time.
As we went back out to the car three things happened:
1. Ezra's balloon slipped off the string and floated lazily into the sky. As Ezra sat in his carseat, he looked at the string wrapped around his wrist, trying to find where the balloon had escaped to.
2. Annabelle's trumpet made no noise, whatsoever. Now, given the extremely loud noise of the flutes, this wouldn't have been such a big deal, but apparently a band without a noisemaking trumpet is no band at all. So I take the trumpet, trying to see if something is blocking it up, and promptly snap off the top of the trumpet. instant trash.
3. Julian opens his cars to find that they require some super special type of battery that we don't keep in stock, and lucky us! the batteries are NOT included.
Shortly after, the car was filled with two flutes blowing noisily, a surprisingly loud beeping cell phone, and Ezra's discovery that his baton is just long enough to hit me, Bella and Juju in the heads with very little effort on his part.
I did consider breaking the remaining three toys, while the kids slept tonight, until I pulled up this blurry photo on my computer of Julian playing one of the flute's tonight in a one-man parade the front yard.
Watching his crazy dancing and flute playing all around the neighborhood was worth a lot more than $6.35.
Dollar Tree, it will be a cold day in you-know-where before we visit you again, but it's good to know that you are there if i want a 1 in 6 chance of finding a fun toy for my kids.
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