We're hitting the mall tomorrow ...again. Not because I like the mall, because I don't. The mall ranks right up there (or down there rather) with going to the dentist and the OBGYN (the latter who I visited today and who somehow managed to fit in the "M" word again, menopausal).
Our school supply list is about a third done. I've made a habit of buying the easy stuff on the first trip. This includes pencils, red checking pens and notebook paper (although you have to keep an eye out for college-ruled paper. It'll sneak up and bite you when you're trying to grab a couple of packages of wide-ruled). Who uses college-ruled anyway?
On this shopping excursion, which I work to keep short, the cart leaves the premises when I get to the tough part of the list which includes things like -two black Expo markers (even though the bin in the store says that this year red and blue are in) and -one large washable Elmer's glue stick- that's unnecessarily packed with seven other like its own.
It's usually when I'm ready to leave that my kid spots the "galactic kitten" backpack that we're eventually going to fight over or the "Yo Gabba Gabba looking" pencil pouch that she'll insist is the only one she can live with when there's a cute suede one with fringe right next to it. I don't like shopping, but if you've got to do it, stylish choices are important. We've a reputation to uphold.
We are going to the mall tomorrow but Hallie, our fifteen-year-old says I can't call it shopping. She thinks I'm some kind of monster just because I say things like "No!, Keep moving!, Focus!" when she reaches for a dress when we're shirt shopping.
[This is a good place to say thank you to the Nederland dress code and Excel store which makes it easy-breezy to go "shirt-gettin".] Been there done that (shopping trip number two). I got fourteen shirts in less than fourteen minutes.
Tomorrow we're going "pants-gettin"as Hallie's decided to call it. I had her take a picture of the jeans she already has so that we can just cut to the chase and get those, but new ones of those.
I'll probably take the kids hungry so that they'll be as ready to get out of the store as I am. If they're cooperative I'll take them to Chik Fil A. The drive through of course.
Fellow Shoppers: May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Colossians 1:11