Sunday, March 15, 2009

Lessons learned in the Target checkout...

So there are many valuable lessons to be learned in Target. Target really knows how to put on a sale-once they decide they want it out of there, they don't play. The best bargains are found on the back endcaps of each aisle. If you really like something but have an aversion to paying full price, give it a week or two....it will be yours at a much more reasonable cost. Sometimes if something is already marked down, you will be delighted to find out that it is even less. Popcorn and a coke is less that $1.25 in the snack bar. The knowledge is endless.

Maddie has this baby. It is her thing, like Linus and his blankie. The baby is nothing special, something her Mamaw gave her for Christmas. I don't know what the appeal is, but this is the toy that stuck. It isn't cute. It used to make these creepy noises like it was possessed, and would even cry while it was alone in the crib. She loves this thing, and I don't mean kinda. She has toted the baby all over our house, on vacation, to Nana's. She even gave it a bath one night, which took care of the freaky sounds. Nevertheless, it is her thing. She loves it. We have come to call the baby Betty. As in, Ugly Betty. Not nice, but .....

She is seriously attached to this thing, and because I have waited for a little girl to wear bows and play dolls, I want her to have a pretty baby, one that I can put away as an heirloom one day to lovingly give to my grandaughter. This ain't that baby. So I have bought other dolls just knowing that she will find one that is nicer to tote around. She hasn't taken my bait.

Recently we have become afraid that something will happen to Betty, and Maddie will never sleep again. They have this whole bedtime routine. Maddie gathers her with her pacie and blanket, then tucks her in just right before she lays herself down. She is the first thing Maddie looks for when she gets up in the morning. Last week she cried to walk over to Papaw's, then made Papaw walk her home to get her "Bebe." We don't know how we would survive if Betty became lost or dismembered, and she does have two older brothers so that is entirely possible.

Yesterday Maddie and I had a girl's shopping day to Duck Duck Goose and Target. I was so proud, because she had a list of what she wanted to look for, and I am not kidding when I say that she came up with "shoes" on her own. Bestill my heart. We were shopping around Target when she spotted from across the aisle "my Bebe!" Only this one was clean, complete, and moved with the creepy noises. She would not let go. Daddy and I had talked about buying a spare "in case." Meet the newest member of our family...Betty the Second.

So we put her in the buggy and headed for the checkout. The girl who was checking had to pry the baby out of Maddie's hands. I jokingly said, "I don't know what's up with this baby. We are buying our second one because she is so attached to the first one. And she isn't even the cutest baby...I don't know why she loves this baby so much."

The checkout girl with all of her wisdom looked at me and said, "That just goes to show you that she doesn't decide who to love based on looks."

Whoa. Who new I was being so superficial about baby doll selection?!? So I paid for the baby, and we took her home. I won't say for sure, but we might be looking in the ol' baby name book for something new to call our little ones.

Have you ever had important life reminders in the most obscure places? Any suggestions for names?

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