2 1/2 hours in Target or I love my kids

Jon grandmother sent the kids Giftcards to Target for Christmas so late this afternoon I took them all to Target to see what they could find. I vowed not to be a control freak, but let them make up their own minds and am proud to say that I only said "no" to one thing and slightly persuaded one out of a webkinz. I hope I am allowed to be a bit proud of that because I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to just let them make their own choices and waste their money if that is what it comes down to. Of course, it could just be that they made such good choices on their own that I didnt' really get that tested! ;-)
So I love them because they are them. There is nothing like a GC spree to see what they are like and see how different they are. Take Anne Michal. She knew before she even went what she wanted: baseball cards. Ok. Yes. I exercised self-control. I knew it was there somewhere, but anyway so she didn't really need to look around and shop. She also bought a light saber. Why? Because her 6 yr old brother wanted one, but what good is having one if you have no one to fight. He asked sweetly, "Anne Michal, will you please buy one so we can fight each other?????" So she did.
Elizabeth is my child who is never in want of anything. She is always content with what she has and it is like pulling teeth to get her to make a Christmas or birthday list. For her 10th birthday, I took her out for lunch and shopping for new tennis shoes which she needed anyway because there was nothing she wanted at all!! The one thing she decided on was a Schliech horse that was rearing up on his hind legs. That left her with quite a bit of money. She wasn't going to get anything else and said, "I really don't care about money." Yes, she seriously said that, and she was telling the truth. She did end up thinking that maybe she needed a new sketchpad, and then while wandering around I asked if she maybe wanted a beanbag chair for her room like Anne Michal got for Christmas so she settled on that. The other thing kind of funny she said was, "I came into the store with nothing so if I go back out with nothing then I am not any worse off."
Emma, she is my girly-girl and my absolutely indecisive child. I am seriously surprised we didn't spend 2 1/2 hours just on her alone. She wanted to look at the jewelry, the clothes, the shoes. She wanted some earrings but thought they were a bit costly. She really wanted a locket, but they didn't have any she liked that she could afford, so she finally decided on a little heart necklace, but with more money to spend so more looking. She found some shoes she loved. I can't decide if they are cute or ugly. I think they must be cute because they are totally her. She already has more shoes than any other child in the house and is the one that can never find shoes. Just as an aside, have you ever noticed that the more your child has of one thing the harder it is to find. If they have one pair of shoes, they can always be found; but if they have six then good luck. I guess maybe I exercised a bit of restraint there too...heehee. So finished off her shopping with a pack of skittles and a king -size pack of peanut m&m's for sharing in the car on the way home. I was very proud of her desision making skills tonight! ;-) She came home and immediately put the shoes and necklace on; I had to tell her she coudln't wear the shoes to bed.
Jack had a very stressful time. He picked and choosed; counted and subtracted; hemmed and hawed. He didn't want to make a mistake. Unlike Lizzy he was worried he'd come home and realize he'd made a terrible mistake. I am not sure how many things he put in the cart and then took out again before finally making up his mind. I had a bit of trouble keeping his running total in my head especially while keeping 4 other running totals! He ended up with army men from the dollar spot, a couple of cars from the Car's movie,a Tom and Jerry movie, and his light saber. I guess I'd have to say he got the most items for his money which I think was his goal!!
And Creed, well, let's just say that he did little choosing, but I did try to take into consideration what he enjoyed. He got some chickadees(cracker like goldfish) when after the second hour he was starting to fade fast, a little people car carrier truck because he loves Little People stuff, some clearanced bargain blanket sleepers for this persistent winter weather with which I am being tortured, and he contributed toward the diapers I also bought. After all, is there really a better gift than a clean dry hiney??
Lastly, I love my kids because this could have been a torturous outing. I could be writing a "I'll one -up your bad day" post but instead I got to enjoy studying and watching them and seeing how different kids and personalities react in the same situation. They were kind and thoughtful with each other. They waited their turn and were patient when they'd rather be in the toys than the clothes or the jewelry instead of the toys. They were excited and happy for each other and tried to be helpful. They kept Creed entertained and occupied. And last but not least I almost wept when they chose yogurt over chips(it really doesn't take much to make me happy) as a side to the burgers I was going to pick up on the way home. Who knew when we left the house right after 4 that we wouldn't be heading home until 7 o'clock. I have to say, "Thanks Grandma Mac for treating the kids and thanks kids for an enjoyable afternoon!!!"