Here is something to laugh about on a Monday – Jack and I had a crazy trip to Target that I have been meaning to talk about.  This took place in the week between Jack’s birthday and a Bar Mitzvah that Luke attended.  I spent the better part of a week shopping for dress clothes for Luke, by myself, buying and returning and comparing prices.  I went to two Targets, Nordstrom Rack, Macys, and the J Crew outlet.  What I found were suits that were either heinous or really expensive.  I bought some dress shirts, and ties and shopped for dress shoes.  Dress shoes in Luke’s size don’t exist.  Kids sizes stop about a half size below his size, and adult shoes start a half size up.  Dave had to finally take Luke to get fancy tennis shoes when we ran out of ideas.  He ended up in a suit we borrowed as a costume two years ago, and dress tennis shoes (vans) and a shirt and tie he already had.  He looked great, and I had a stack of stuff to return.

Jack, meanwhile, had birthday money burning a hole in his pocket and a “mommy’s mistake” present to return.  He was also very jealous of Luke’s dress tennis shoes.  And I agreed that he could use a new pair of shoes.  So off we went to Nordstrom rack to return a dress shirt and dig through the piles of kids shoes.  As I parked I said, “Ooooooh no. I forgot my wallet.  Oh well, let’s go in anyway and see if there is anything worth coming back for.  Otherwise, we should go home and then go straight to target.  Plus, maybe I can return this shirt without my wallet.”  Jack was THRILLED.  Who doesnt love window shopping for shoes?  But then a miraculous thing happened.  We found a great pair of shoes that were the exact price of the shirt I was returning.  Even exchange, two errands done, easey peasey lemon squeezy.

But before we could go to target I did need my wallet so we headed home, and on the way, I noticed that I did have my wallet.  After essentially a giant trip around the block we were back at Target returning the build your own catapult set I had bought Jack, not noticing the “age 14 and up” on it.  Target asked if their was anything wrong with it I said, “No.. I just didn’t notice the age suggestion.  Plus my husband has a masters degree in engineering and he found this very frustrating and hard to follow so…”

Jack and I were finally in the toy aisle when I noticed that I didn’t have my purse and Jack had left his birthday money in the car.  (We had gotten distracted trying to use the puncture the airbag/cut off the seatbelt/crack the windshield/set up a flair/multi tool my mom bought me after she thought I was going to drive in to the creek.  Click here for that story. We were trying to use the tool to get the zip tie off the shoes.  It didn’t work.)

Back out to the car, and back to the toy aisle.  Jack picked out a giant box of giant star wars figures and we paid and left and went home.  When I opened the trunk and handed the box to Jack was surpised to see a target shopping basket.  How did that get there?  Dave and Luke were laughing – the toy Jack got was way too big for the shopping basket, so what was a carrying in it?   I had to said, “I guess just my purse.”

Next time I went to Target, I returned the basket, despite Jack’s fear that I would be arrested for theft on my way into to store.  This all took place before I started my Christmas shopping, so I think you can understand why people are still receiving gifts from me into the middle of January.