Anyone ever watch Arnold Schwarzenegger's film, "Jingle All the Way?" A film in which he and another character are dads battling at the last minute of the Christmas season to purchase the coveted and rare super hero action figure their sons want more than anything for Christmas? It's quite hilarious and I watched as a child many times thinking to myself, "never will I ever join in on this rush!" I've never gone Black Friday shopping, I've never tried to rush to any sales or intentionally project myself amidst a wild all nerve lost crowd of retail crazy. I get my shopping done early, mostly online, and am always planned and structured.
Enter my three year old.
This is the first Christmas in which she is finally asking for things from Santa. As all parents do, I asked months ahead of time, "What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?" She replied with "a bible, a pillow for baby Molly (her beloved doll), and a dinosaur." For two months this is the answer I received. Santa Claus purchased these gifts. Then suddenly on December 22, 2020, we took Ellie to see Santa (unknowingly as we did not expect his presence) at the Downtown Seneca lights where she refused to speak to him, only sat in shockingly quiet silence and frozen like a statue and thereafter she releases her Christmas wishes on her daddy and I...."I want a hippopotamus and a horsie." Great. This is new information. I didn't really do much with it. But then before bed that evening, Ellie brought it up again in such a way that only parents can understand...in this loving, precious, adorable, confident manner that Santa was indeed bringing her a hippo and a horsie. And y'all...I am not at all a pushover parent. I am pretty strict and I am the "weird" mom with the "weird" rules and I just would probably normally never have imagined I was going to be "that" parent....but her voice!! Her voice and her smile and her joy and confidence that she was indeed going to get these items....I became "that" parent. The parent who wanted nothing more in the WORLD than to see a smile on my child's face on Christmas morning and to fulfill her wishes and desires. I have one little baby. I had to do it. So I put her to bed and did a mad dash search online for the Hungry Hungry Hippo game. I knew I could find a horse but a hippo is sort of a tall order...and that game is a classic of course and my best chance of finding this desired hippo. (This is what I get for singing the song, "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" for the past 2 months.) December 23, I released myself into the world that is Christmas chaos on Wade Hampton Boulevard. You see, I did find during my online search that allegedly....ALLEGEDLY....Target in Greer had the game in stock. So, I ordered it for an in store pick-up for Dec. 23. I received confirmation of my order and was told my pick up at the Greer Target would be waiting on me in the morning. I went to bed peacefully, no fret, no stress, mission accomplished. Holiday shopping wouldn't be so bad with this sort of ease.
Until it failed.
My mom and dad came to the rescue to watch Ellie until Eric came home from work for just a couple short hours so I may make my hour long trek to Greer and back. I was calm, no hurry, happy. Then, I arrived. It was crowded, I've actually never seen stores so crowded in all my life. But I was not overwhelmed. I smiled, and realized, well this is Christmas crunch time, embrace it and be kind! I got in the little "pick-up" line. Greeted the little young man. Gave him my name. ......... "Oh....well.....we cancelled your order it appears...." Deep breath. Hot cheeks. Blood rushing. "Ok...why?" "Weel ma'am, it wasn't in stock though our website said it was. You should have received an email of the cancellation." We opened my emails together and there he saw the proof I indeed did NOT receive such an email. I remained kind and calm....which for my hot Clardy blood is a miracle. Holy Spirit, you are so great! I simply told the young man I understood though I will need confirmation of my reimbursement as I have no email indicating this is happening. He then gave me a $10 gift card and I told him "thank you, it's not your fault, have a Merry Christmas." Way to go outward response. Inwardly.....a volcano of hot panic was beginning to bubble. I couldn't breathe it felt like in my stupid mask. I walked to the toy department and easily grabbed a beautiful horse as I knew I would do without issue. I searched every aisle high and low three times over for a plastic hippo, a stuffed hippo, anything hippo. I found...."Burping Bobby????" Who makes these games? Seems classless and stupid to me.
But none the less you bet your bottom dollar I stuck it in my cart because gosh darn it Ellie was going to get a hippopotamus for Christmas! I texted Eric, my husband and briefly told him the drama. He diverted from going home and headed to woodruff road....bless his ever loving precious soul. He went to see what he could find at that Target or Wal-Mart. Meanwhile, I parked my cart in a quiet aisle and began searching and found that possibly another upstate Wal-Mart had Hungry Hungry Hippos. So I called and spoke to a sales associate who told me, "Oh yes! We have it! Let me put you on hold." She comes back after ten minutes. "Ok hon, you gonna pay over the phone?" "Yes ma'am. I want to pay now and pick up in an hour." "Ok....oh...wait...oh, we don't have it." "Great. thanks. (Click!)" Deep Breath. I post in the BST groups to see what I can find. I'm doing all I can. All the while people are running around like loons around me. I'm really introverted, by the way. I text Eric telling him I found this stupid burping hippo and I'm just standing by to see if anybody replies to my plea for help on social media when all of a sudden Eric texts..... "I got it."......holding my breath...."What did you get?" .....And then a photo of the most beautiful Hungry Hungry Hippos game I have ever laid my eyes on appears on my screen and Y'ALL. I start CRYING! Crying in a blooming Target in the middle of the toy aisle in my stupid mask and praising Jesus! I texted Eric the most loving many little texts of thanks and appreciation and then I gathered myself, shaking, trembling, crying little mama on a dang mission for a dang hippo at the last minute and I walked to the check out line.....which was at the literal actual back of the store long and y'all....I did not even care.
I took that horse and checked out and praised God and smiled in my stupid mask and braved the ridiculous traffic home blasting my happy loud music jamming out all the way home.
This was the first experience I've ever had with retail last minute mad house insanity but I'd do it every time if that sweet baby wanted a special gift for Christmas. Call me crazy. I know. It is crazy...but I am crazy in love with my daughter and she is such a good sweet girl...most of the time! Haha! Praising God for provision of a hippo, a wonderful husband, and awesome parents who help at the last minute joyfully. I am a super super blessed daughter, wife, and mother.
I am the mama who shed tears of joy in Target. And I am not ashamed! Haha!
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