Yep, I'm crazy

By Amy M.

Black Friday. Regardless of how you feel about it, you'd probably agree it's not a day to go shopping with your 2-year-old. Unless you're crazy. Or you're me.

I am a true shopaholic (evidence: my last post was about shopping, too). I can spend a full day shopping to the point of exhaustion and still want to go back for more. How many people find every single thing they were looking for during any given shopping trip? If you don't find it during that particular shopping trip, you still need (or want) it, right? Why wait for weeks when you can go shopping again the next day? That's my thinking, at least.

In true shopaholic fashion, I was planning to hit the sales in the wee hours on the Friday after Thanksgiving. My plan was to go out at about 5:30 a.m. and be back in time to give Alex breakfast around 8:30. But Alex had a different plan. He woke up at 5:15, as I was getting dressed. I thought that if I offered to let him sleep in our bed, he'd be more likely to go back to sleep (never mind that we just worked so hard to break him of that habit -- I wanted to go shopping!). I got into bed with him, and soon the demands began. "I need water." "I need Eyeore and Doggie" (his favorite stuffed animals). "Turn the light off" (the bathroom light was on).

We lied there for a while, me waiting anxiously for the slow breathing that indicated he had fallen asleep. Just when I thought we had reached that point, I heard "Hey, Mommy." I answered, but he had nothing to say. This happened a couple times. Finally his breathing began to slow. So I looked over at him, expecting to see his eyes closed. They were'nt -- he was staring right back at me. So I did what only a crazy, shopping-obsessed woman would do, I asked him if he wanted to go shopping with me. Fortunately, he said yes.

So off we went to Target at 6:30 a.m. And then to the mall. And then a break for breakfast, and then the mall again. People looked at me like I was crazy, and I felt like I had to explain -- to the complete strangers -- that I had intended to go shopping alone, but Alex had other plans.

You may wonder why my husband couldn't watch Alex. He could have, but I'm a nice wife. I knew he wasn't ready to get up at 5:30 a.m., and I didn't really NEED to go shopping that morning. We have sort of an unspoken agreement that he'll tolerate my shopping sprees as long as they don't inconvenience him too much (for the record, I tolerate a lot of his, uh, habits as well).

We finally got home around 12:30 p.m. (Alex fell asleep in the car). I had survived Black Friday shopping with a toddler and had lots of great bargains to show for it. Believe it or not, I think we both had fun.

Comments

[Rebecca]

Hi

My name i Rebecca and I work at a Swedish TV prod. co. For a current documentary we are looking for people who shops alot, i.e a shopaholic. Do you truly consider yourself to be one?

If, and woud like to tell me more pls e-mail me at
[email protected]

Best Regards
Rebecca

[Goldberry]

I am a HUGE internet shopper. I found tons of great deals on the internet on Black Friday. All with free shipping!!

[Michelle]

You sound like me! I love shopping so much, I started a site dedicated to it! I did NOT get out on Black Friday, and I truly feel like I am missing something when I can't be a part of such an important day in the shopping world.

My current shopping obssession is diaper bags and nursing bras that are sexy (there aren't any as far as I can tell, at least in a size A -- yes, I am nursing and STILL a size A).

Anyway, I am glad you had a successful shopping trip, even with a 2 year old in tow. I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old, and shopping with them is almost impossible. But, I must say, I have taught my three year old well, since given a choice of things to do, going to the mall is usually at the top of the list.

[amy]

i'm not a black friday shopper. i'm not a shopper in general. i'm a get-in-get-out kind of girl. but more power to you for being brave enough to take your son along for the shopping!