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Thursday, September 6, 2007

How to turn a bunny into a Magna Doodle

Sometimes I think I am an idiot.

Yes, just sometimes (and stop smirking!).

Here is a case in point:

A couple of weeks ago I got a $16 voucher in the mail from Fisher Price. Yes, this was related to a recalled toy! Becca had gotten the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Bunny as a gift last Christmas from my mom. Complete with little choking hazard pom-pom nose, so off it went in the mail back to the company. The voucher came a week or two later.

Becca has been playing with Abby's or Hannah's Magna Doodles almost non-stop, so I thought it might be a good idea to get her one of her own. So far the big girls hadn't minded too much, but I had a feeling it was about to get ugly since 3 girls + 2 Magna Doodles = complete meltdown. They tend to run about $15 at Target, so it would work out perfectly.

Fast-forward to a Saturday a couple of weeks ago. Ron was working and I had promised to take the girls to Playworld since we hadn't been all summer. My friend Kristi and her boys came and the kids all had a blast running, jumping and climbing. We ate lunch there and finally packed up to go at about 1pm. Even though it was past Becca's nap time, we were pretty close to Target, so I thought we'd run in quickly and grab the Magna Doodle for Becca before we headed home.

Note to self - do not take cranky, tired toddler to Target. Especially when she's perfectly content playing with a big sister's Magna Doodle in the van on the way and then you take it away from her to put her in a shopping cart when you arrive.

Never mind that we were going to go buy her one of her own, she wanted nothing to do with sitting in that cart or being at the store. And she expressed her discontent. Very loudly.

Until we got to the toy section. That quieted her down immediately! The girls were all over the place since the new fall toys are out and the shelves are all getting stocked for Christmas - 4 months away. Which seems like a lifetime to a kid. The begging began as soon as we turned the corner and spied the toy section. Actually it had started as soon as I mentioned we were going to Target, but I had let them know that we absolutely, definitely were not going to buy anything except for a Magna Doodle for Becca. At least no other toys anyway.

But still, the begging and pleading. And whining. Until I'd said, "no you can't have it but yes, we can put that on your Birthday/Christmas list" so many times I felt like a broken record. I found the Magna Doodle for Becca, managed to get her into the cart finally and herded the other two out of the toy section. Phew!

We finally get to the checkout and place our items on the counter. One Magna Doodle, and a couple of boxes of cereal I nabbed off an endcap when I saw the sale sign. And a couple of soccer balls for the girls (ok, so I caved there, but they really did need them, I promise!).

And then I go digging for the voucher that I very clearly remember putting in the front pocket of the diaper bag before we left the house.

It's not there.

I pull everything out of that pocket and search through Becca's immunization record, the checkbook, my wallet, old photos and receipts, but no luck. Meanwhile the line behind me is growing and Abby and Hannah are playing with every little toy on the checkout lane and begging for candy - um no! I search through the main compartment of my diaper bag, pulling out diapers, wipes, spare clothes, toys, snacks... Still no voucher.

Having to make a quick choice, I just pay for everything and take off. The cashier told me that if I found the voucher I could bring it back with my receipt and get an adjustment.

When we got back to the van, I searched. No voucher.
I drove by Playworld on our way home and ran in to check there. No voucher.
I searched through the kitchen when we got home. No voucher.

I could only decide that it must have fallen out of the diaper bag and someone found it and didn't turn it in. I wasn't happy about having paid for a Magna Doodle when we already had 2 at home and didn't really have the money for it, but Becca was thrilled to have one of her own. I was mostly mad at myself for having lost the darn thing.

Yesterday morning, I got to work and began taking the things I needed for the day out of my purse. As I pulled my ID out of the front pocket of my purse, I felt a folded piece of paper. Hmmm, what's that? I took it out of the pocket and unfolded it.

To see one $16 Fisher Price voucher.

I clearly remembered putting it in the front pocket - but it was my purse, not the diaper bag. Yes, I carry both - I switch my wallet back and forth depending on whether I'm headed to work or somewhere with the kids. Usually I do well with remembering to move my wallet. But apparently not so well with putting other things in the correct bag.

Sigh.

Ok, so I am an idiot sometimes - I never even thought to check my purse. I think I'll hang onto the voucher now though - Hannah's birthday is coming up in a couple of months so I'll just use it then for something for her since I've already gotten Becca something. It all works out even in the end.

This time! :)


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7 wonderful people said...:

Anonymous said...

Hey, you're not an idiot. You just had a momentary case of mommy brain. :)
By the way, I have been going through the EXACT same thing with my 5 year old. He has asked every day for a week for a certain lego set and I've told him over and over we'll put it on his Christmas list.
He also associates Target with toys. They beg to go to the toy aisle every time we enter Target.
*sigh*

onemotherslove said...

Don't worry... you are so not alone!

Scribbit said...

Nice to hear of other moms' moments!

Anonymous said...

I am laughing because this was so me last night at Target when I was trying to hunt for my coupon for diapers. I was hunting everywhere in the diaper bag at the check out counter and then DOH I forgot I put it in my jeans pocket GRRR LOL

We can chalk it up to mommy brain ;)

Karen said...

Could you possibly be my twin separated at birth? This sounds SO much like me!

(I just recently found a $25 Wal*mart gift cards and $100 worth of gift certificates to the cross stitch store that had been missing for a couple of years!!!)

~Amber~ said...

Hugs. Glad you at least found it!

Anonymous said...

Hee, Hee! I do this all the time because I never seem to put coupons, debit cards, receipts, keys, or you name it in a consistent place when it comes to the purse or diaper bag! I think it's because I'm always too busy trying to keep little hands from pulling down a store display that I just stuff whatever it is in the first available pocket : )