Friday, July 13, 2007

Dreaded Annual Visit

Well, I have completed my least favorite annual visit for the year, and I am not talking about the doctor.

I am talking Wal-mart. Every year at this time I post about this visit. The Dreaded School Supply visit.

Y'all, I broke a record yesterday. I was prepared. I had a game plan. I spent $25 and did it in 25 minutes! Yes! 25 minutes, from parking the car to pulling out of the lot. I even scored a parking spot up close (which isn't high on the priority list, but is nice when the store is packed and it is 101 degrees outside).

All in all, a painless trip.

I think that the Wal-Mart people must put the isles in real close, make the carts extra wide and then get a good laugh watching how people viciously push around each other to get those 10 cent spiral notebooks.

If it wasn't so cut-throat it'd almost be funny. You can see the intensity as you enter the School Supply isle. You can tell by just "looks" those Mom's who are experienced. There is determination in their eyes, you know they mean business. They have The List. Their kids know they aren't to ask for anything not on The List.

Then there is the kindergarten mom. The sweet mom who is excited and yet apprehensive. She's been given a list of supplies. She needs to get everything, exactly how it is written on The List. It says: Crayola Washable Crayons, Box of 10. But Crayola Washable Crayons only come in boxes of 8 or 12? She's been all over town. What should she do?

This was me several years ago as the "old-timers" rolled their eyes and whispered "kinder mom" under their breath.

But now I'm a pro.

Well, maybe not. Each year I tell myself to wait to meet the teacher before I go with the "general" supply list, because the teacher always gives a more specific list. My compulsion to get things checked off my To Do list always gets the best of me.

We got the more detailed list last night at Meet the Teacher night.

Rats. I may have to go back.

Oh how I miss my Wal-mart trips in the middle of the night with K1 and K2! It no fun without you!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We'll try to schedule one of those soon in your honor :-) I went by myself last night -- but it took way more than 25 minutes. (It always takes me a while when I'm by myself because I enjoy the freedom to "mosey" without all of the whining, begging, and touching everything in reach going on all around me.) K2 should really work on that, don't you think? :-)
K1

Musings of a Housewife said...

I don't believe I've EVER made it out of Target for under $100.

Anonymous said...

OOOH, K1, how funny you think you are!! You know that younger siblings always imitate their older ones. K4, I miss our late night outings, too. I'll see what I can line up with K2 for an honoraium run to Walmart. K2

Unknown said...

K1 and K2...be sure to buy cheese flavored mini-rice cakes and eat them on the way home. K1, just between you and me, giving K2 snacks is usually how I tried to keep her in line. ;)