I've Officially Lost My &*#%@ Mind

After I picked up Thing 1 and Thing 2 from their after school choir practice, I decided to stop at the store. I needed to pick up several items that I needed for Thanksgiving day and, as I'm still under the weather, I didn't want to go home and then have to go back out. So we just decided that we'd stop quickly. it wasn't the best time for me to stop at the store, being that it's a) two days before a big holiday and b) it was about 4:30 - prime grocery store time.

The girls were excited to be out of school and full of vim and vigor, and I was - let's face it, tired and wiped out and still under the weather (yes, I'm on day 6) - and it was a constant refrain - "Come back here, you can't walk along the sides of the cart, no, you can't get cheese sticks/pirate booty/yogurt tubes - only what's on the list. Come back here!" I was tired when we made it to the self check out.

Both Thing 1 and Thing 2 wanted to help me check out, but after we'd had to have the machine reset a record three times due to operator error, I'd had enough. "Girls. Go down to the end of the row. Go get a free balloon. Get a cookie. Sit on the bench. Just let me check out, ok?" As I was returning to the register, I saw these enormous stuffed animals on the end cap.

I took a quick glance at the price tag and almost died. $55.99. What a crazy price, I thought. I finished buying my groceries and we walked out. As we did so, Thing 1 asked Thing 2, "Did you see that beyoootiful pink sheep? I want one for Christmas."

"Not gonna happen," I retorted. "I'm not buying a stuffed animal that costs $55."

Thing 1 looked at me and shrugged. "It's not $55, Mom," she said, with a look of total disdain on her face. "It's $5.99." Thing 2 looked at her sister in disbelief. "No, it's not. It's $9.99."

"GIRLS. I know how to read a price tag. That thing costs $55.99."

Thing 1 looked at me again. "Um, Mom? I know how to read a price tag too, and it's $5.99. Duh." She walked ahead a couple of steps, turned back around to look at me with one hand on her hip, and enunciated - FIVE NINE NINE. As she turned around, she said again, "That sheep was $5.99."  The look on her face was one of pity - Poor woman, so jacked up on cold medication that she can't read a price tag. I pity her. It was the look of an adult.

And I do not believe that I did this.

I stomped my foot. At my nine year old. In the parking lot. "I KNOW how to read a price tag, Smarty Van Smarty pants, and it clearly said $55.99. Wait - let's go back in the store and I'll PROVE it to you."

I'm embarrassed to admit that my voice rose on those last words. Who WAS I?? I clearly must have lost my fool mind, to be arguing with a NINE year old over the price of a stupid stuffed animal, standing in the parking lot and stomping my foot?

I can only blame the cold medication.

She looked at me - with what could only be described as a look of pity and said, "Mom. It's no big deal," and she got into the van. I was appalled - both at her insistence and her stubbornness and my own irritation. What happened to being a grown up? What happened to Rise above it all, let every disagreement be as a knee level thunderstorm, what happened to being an ADULT?

To make matters worse, I made my husband take me back to the store at 9 p.m. so that I could snap pictures of this stupid sheep and prove it to her.

Stubborn doesn't fall far from the tree and there's a reason my husband calls her Little Carmen.

And I'll be SHOWING THEM THE PRICE TAG IN THE MORNING.

Comments

[maggie]

Oh my God, Carmen, this is a good story! I love it! What did the girls say when you showed them the proof?

[Kay]

I would have done the same thing, just to prove I was right!

[Kelly H]

Hold on....what kind of GROCERY STORE sells a stuffed animal for $59?????? I don't buy anything for $59 at a grocery store!! That's insanity!! Not you Carmen, that price!

FWIW, I would have totally gone back myself to take a picture too just to prove my point. Even to my kids.

I think I probably would have also brought it to the manager and said SERIOUSLY??? This MUST be wrong.

[Kelly H]

Oh wait...it's actually SIXTY NINE DOLLARS. If you use your card, you can pay the reduced price of $59.

THUD

[Headless Mom]

I'm with you. Sometimes it's worth it to be right. Dammit.

;-D

[Tara]

I have had arguments like that before, where I had to prove I was right. But the arguments were with my Darling Husband, not the kids. LOL

[Debby Pucci]

Love this story and I would have gone back to take a picture too. When your right your right!

[Jenn]

hahaahah you're my idol. xoxox feel better

[karen]

Lol!! I'm glad you went back and took a picture..
Maybe blame on the meds/stress or anything else, but that is priceless (pun intended)

[addy]

Ya i would have done the same thing. (Maybe without the foot stomping ;)) When you know what you saw you know what you saw...

[Sabz]

FYI you can buy an actual real live sheep for $69 at a local farm here :) (IL/WI)

[WebSavvyMom]

-->My son challenged me on something I read to him recently and I said, I KNOW HOW TO READ, you do not. It's okay.

[Julie]

So-in other words-you ALL were wrong!

[Brandy]

I would have done the same thing. It's a matter of you're the mom and they should respect what you say. My kids drive me batty when they insist they are right and I am wrong. HUGS!

[Sandra]

well you were ALL wrong. LMAO

[kyooty]

HA!!!! oh I love it. I would have done the same thing. TJ would have been the one "insisting" that he was the almighty right.