GRATEFUL FOR GIFT CARDS

My youngest recieved a great gift for Christmas.

Begining in October it starts, can't watch TV , go shopping without the little ones saying," I want that TOY". Now we, as many others, make several trips to the local shopping center for groceries and what not, as the Holiday approached the stores became plagued with displays of TOYS. Well, DUH you say. Well I say, can't take my littlest anywhere with out leaving the store with her in tears. This makes the whole holiday shopping thing a challenge. Eventually had to shop in shifts not taking her with us or avoiding certain isles( the pink ones) if she was with us. All the toys, heart broken not being able to leave the store with a new doll. All the while I try to comfort her. "Its okay, maybe for Christmas". Lil saying as we turn to the next isle in the store, " It's Christmas now, can I have it?" It wasn't Christmas, we hadn't even gone trick-or-treating yet. My sweet little child in her innocence thought because all the displays were chuck full of Christmas decorations that upon turning an isle it was now Christmas. It does seem to come that quick though.

Christmas came. Love, joy and gifts were shared. Yeah, Lil' recieved lots of fun dolls, pixies etc. Yet shopping trips were still difficult, until one day. Uncle Dale and Bryan had given Lil' a gift card to Walmart for Christmas, $10. We had to go shopping for groceries and for some insane reason we thought we should let Lil' choose a TOY . Daddy and I were apprehensive to say the least. I even told him to take her to the TOY section of the store and I'd meet them in a few minutes. Thinking I find her in tears and Daddy already packing her out to the car, I went to the the dreaded TOY section. Wow, it was going great Daddy wrapped around her finger was happily following her around( in the Pink isles) looking for a TOY. I met them in front of the Disney barbie dolls section, "The Princesses". To our amazement she quickly choose a Snow White barbie. Even better it was in the price range of the gift card. Thank goodness, I really couldn't deal with more heart break. We put Lil in the shopping cart and she quitely held and admired her new doll while we shopped. Whewww, thank you Uncle Dale and Bryan. It wasn't just a toy, it was a GIFT! Lil' was finally able to go to the store and leave with TOY of her choice.

Just a side note, I once ran into a fellow co-worker at the above said Walmart. He, his wife and their 3 year old girl were shopping. I was amazed at how well she was behaving. What was their trick? I discovered it while we were chatting. They explained that they go directly to the toy section pick out a small meaningless toy let the child hold, admire and play with toy while they shopped, all the while never intending to buy it. They even had a phrase for it, "shopping toy". The things we do to get the shopping done.