Mom's View - Black Friday

Hi all (7 readers)! Happy holidays! it's been a busy time around here. 2 kid's birthdays and Thanksgiving. I still have all my shopping to do even after my attempt at Black Friday shopping. Now let me first say that I have never shopped on black friday but this year I have seen how having a kid will make you do crazy shit. I hate the crowds and I just never cared about getting a deal that much to get up at 4 am to go to a store. The whole concept kind of makes my stomach turn. I mean, people are starving out there but we americans are so materialistic and plagued by consumerism that we actually mob the malls on this weekend to buy buy buy and most people are just throwing it on their credit cards. Duh people! as soon as you pay that interest was the deal really worth it? Enough of that rant. back to topic.

So I never have ventured out on this day, that was until the dawn of Zhu Zhu pets. Arg! These things are driving me crazy. My daughter wants one soooo bad and this is actually a toy that she would play with (proven by the fact that she carries a small hedgehog around with her everywhere she goes and that doesn't even talk). made even worse by the fact that I really like these things too. They are so cute and cheap. only $8! that is if you can find one otherwise they're $25-50 on the web (greedy bastards). I love my daughter so much that I actually decided to go to Toys R Us Thanksgiving night for a chance to grab one of these furry little lovable hamsters.

They were scheduled to open at midnight and they would have zhu zhu's in stock. I live about 15-20 minutes away and figured if I left at 11:00 then I could just hang out in the car until 12. Was I wrong. When I pulled up there was already about 150+ in line! It was about 35 degrees outside. I had on a regular coat with a hoodie, jeans, gym shoes with no socks. Once I was in line I realized I had an umbrella for wind deflection and blankets in my car. But there was no way I was going to give up my place. Within minutes there was another 30 people behind me. By the time the doors opened I was in about the top 5-10% of the line. Now I wasn't feeling so bad about where I was! They were handing out tickets for the big items, zhu zhu one of them. They never came by us and it was 12 so I figured they might be handing them out by the door. Got to the door, saw the manager, and lo and behold they were already gone! How many did they have, like 2? I went in anyway figuring I would pick up my daughter's birthday gifts. Grabbed a few things and the checkout line was all the way at the back of the store. No way was I waiting in line for 30 minutes for spongebob legos. So I left empty handed and exhausted. I cooked all day, cleaned, froze for an hour outside, and went toy shopping. Stupid stupid stupid.

All that being said I can't believe I actually had fun. The anticipation, joking around with my new friends in line, hoping they had the dream toy my little girl wanted. Next year I think I'm going to do it again except this time I'm doing the following:
1) show up earlier
2) bring hot coffee like the person in front of me had (my fantasies of bowling her over and stealing her starbucks could be another post)
3) bring a folding chair and a blanket
4) bring a long list and get all my toy shopping done
5) BRING A FRIEND! to hold my place in line while I run to the car, to watch the cart while I squeeze in an aisle, and for the company.

I was surrounded by other crazy moms and loved it. I won't yet discuss the parents who brought KIDS! really! infants, toddlers and older kids. My god! it was cold and late, I wanted to scream at them "Go home, put your kid in bed!" Not to mention that going to a toy store WITH kids is at the top of my worst activites list - listed after cleaning up dog poo and just before watching my husband clip his toe nails.

Did I mention that my WONDERFUL husband took a little trip by target on saturday and got the last zhu zhu pet they had (15 minutes after opening). He was soooooo proud of himself. He's been putting out scouts as far as Singapore and China and checking with Target on all their delivery days to please his daughter. What a great dad! You should have seen him strutting his "I'm so happy with myself" stuff all day!

So Rachel, do you think we're crazy for going this far to please the little ones and see their smiling little faces on christmas morning light up when they get their biggest wish? oh! and would you go with me next year? I know you're sneaky and conniving. The Perfect Partner!