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This year the Easter Bunny once again included enough quarters the eggs that he considerately hid indoors at my mom's house for them to buy a Bakugan. (Funny that they have actually been interested in something for twelve consecutive months! And nevermind the fact that the Easter Bunny also brought them 3 Bakugans each.)
Before starting our journey today, I laid some ground rules. "We are only going to one Target," I said. "And we are only spending YOUR money. If there isn't something you want to buy today, you can save your money for next time." Both monkeys nodded in agreement.
"Now, which Target do you want to go to?"
"The NEW one!" they said in unison. (They watched it being built so they have a special affinity for it. Plus, it has yet to be out of something we're looking for.)
We arrived, parked, and (wallets in hands) headed straight for the Bakugan aisle. There were a million Bakugan there, so we had to weed through each one of them. Meanwhile, the monkeys' contemporaries swirled in around us, examining the wares for themselves. I heard several moms have heated discussions with their offspring.
"Save your money for something you really want instead of wasting it on that!" shouted one mom. I didn't hear what the kid said in response, but it must have been good because she threw up her arms and exclaimed, "Fine, but don't come complaining to me in a few hours when you don't have anything fun to play with!"
I was thrilled to know that I was not the only mother of a child with innumerable toys that complained of boredom on a regular basis, but I was also well aware that they had already grown tired of the 3 Bakugans they got the day before. It seemed a bit absurd to be shopping for yet another one. (Surely some wordsmithy type will come up with a name for this syndrome to enter into the urban dictionary.)
Eventually Jiro found a Bakugan that he wanted, but Satchel did not. We headed towards the Bionicles. I pointed out that they had an even shorter shelf life than the Bakugan. "One you put them together, you lose interest," I said.
Satchel let out a sign and headed for the movies. Then I suggested we look at the DS games. (I needed to take notes for their upcoming birthdays.) After much discussion about how much everything cost, the monkeys negotiated a deal to pool their money and buy a $19.99 game for the Wii. It was a moment of unparalleled team work. Go Team Oster!
I was beaming as they emptied the contents of their wallets on the counter and then walked away each holding a side of the bag.
Of course as soon as we got home, Satchel began mastering the game and Jiro spent 45 minutes whimpering about how he should have gotten the Bakugan instead. It seems there cannot be a Target trip with an ensuing bout of buyers remorse.
After some snuggling and some reassurances on my part, Jiro finally got it together. He watched Satchel for a bit longer and then the two of them happily played together while I rearranged Warren's closet.
4 comments:
Seems they would have been happier if they'd also bought a reusable bag to carry the game home in. I thought I knew you!
Connor thinks that the new Target is the only place in town that sells Bionicles. That's the only thing he buys these days that doesn't end in buyer's remorse- he builds them, then spends days posing them and taking pictures of them.
Usually, though, if he's spending his own money, it takes forEVER for him to pick something out, then he always regrets it once we made it home. He is the king of buyer's remorse.
I'm sorry-- is that a PLASTIC back that S&J are carrying???
i know i dropped the ball on the bag. i was busy taking pics and those target employees are getting too speedy for me.
don't worry, we'll reuse and then recycle it.
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