Boys' Bonanza

We went, we ate, we bought.

That pretty much covers it :-)

The sky dawned fair, on this most auspicious morning. As we headed out into the bright sunshine I mentioned to Derek, (who likes birds of prey) "We ought to see some hawks today. I often see them going down these country roads." *two or three minutes pass* "Look! There's one now...." *watch it wheeling in circles* (hmmm, there's something different about the way it turns....) And then a glimpse of the tail. A white tail.....a white head...."It's another bald eagle!" "Oh guys. You know what this means? It's a good omen! We will find a bunch of stuff at Goodwill!"

"Oh Mommy, you don't believe in omens, do you?" "No, no. Of course not. I was just kidding...."

Well, we continued on our way, with Jason driving, Ethan chattering, and Derek driving proxy from the back seat. I told the guys we had to hit at least TWO stores before stopping for lunch. *groans* A quick stop at SAM's Club, where Jason made the comment, "I'm ready to go home. My feet are tired." I replied, smugly, "You guys' problem is you spend all day sitting at your computers!" "I'm just not built for shopping," was his lame reply.

I bolstered their spirits by reminding them we had WAY more stores to go to, and we hastened on to our first Goodwill Store. I pulled into the parking lot, excited at the prospect of initiating my sons into the ancient art of thrift shopping. Our eyes were met by "Space for Rent," signs, plastered all over the windows. "Aarrrghhhh!" A store had died and no one told me. Is it just me, or has the whole world gone mad? Was that really a bald eagle we had seen, or just a turkey buzzard in a clever disguise?

Jason, of course, was happy as a lark, since this meant that there was one less place to walk his legs into the ground. But "Ma" is not one to fade under pressure. "Ma" is not without flexibility. "Ma" is not one to forego necessary torture to the young'uns. We purchased small snacks from a nearby store to fortify us for the Super Goodwill, or as we like to refer to it in retail resale, "The Big Kahuna."

I won't bore you with all the details of the hunt, but items were found and purchased. I did have to encourage one person in particular that, "No, you can't just gaze at a rack and expect something to jump out at you. YOU HAVE TO PAW THROUGH STUFF!" And, I did discover, belatedly, that some people's idea of checking for size is just pulling things off the rack and holding them haphazardly up to oneself. So, we did come away with a couple of shirts that are a tad big, but the color selection is really nice. *sigh* A couple o' more times and we'll have this down....

While Jason drove to and from Waterloo, I was allowed to drive between stores, giving Derek a chance to perfect his back seat driving technique. Every turn was "too fast!" "Mommy, aren't you going to STOP?!" Let a 13 year read through the Driver's Manual and he thinks he's an expert. Besides, everyone knows you have to drive with authority in the city :-)

Lunch came barely in time to stave off fainting spells. In fact, this was the main topic of conversation at the Goodwill checkout counter. The lady was smiling and it was once again clear to me that, whereas women think of shopping as a sport, men think of it more as a chore. Unless we're talking electronics. Then it's a WHOLE new ball game.

Arby's met everyone's expectations. Even the-little-boy-who-claims-he-cannot-be-filled. We conversed on several topics, but the discussion centered mainly around the advisability of having a burping contest, and, "why can't the girls be more understanding in this area?" We had a super time :-)

On to Wal-Mart, where Jason was privileged to purchase not one, but TWO pairs of shoes. I figure that when a guy gets to be 17, it's not too early to buy the first pair of new shoes in one's life. There are only so many useable items for men at Goodwill, and a fellow cannot postpone growth indefinitely, waiting for something to "turn up."

Ethan looked rather longingly at new tennies, but I soon squashed that with, "Ain't no WAY I'm buying new shoes for two people in one day! Besides, you already have your new 84 cent flashlight. New shoes may smell nice, but just try using them to read a book in bed." In thinking of Nolan and Trevor at home, (and possible squabbles) I picked up two more flashlights.

These last little purchases proved invaluable. Not only were they the source of great amusement and fun for two potentially ornery boys, but those two put on a rather credible light show during Lawrence Welk, tonight. I give the batteries about 2 days.

All in all, a successful day, with the most crucial clothes items acquired. Upon our return, however, I discovered that "cute little Trevor" had turned off my computer. He readily fessed up, and then I just as readily meted out discipline. *sigh* Not all of his "helpfulness" results in disaster. Apparently, remembering that we had neglected to properly dispose of a VHS tape three days earlier, he procured the right case, went to the VCR, pushed the "eject" button, and calmly put away the tape.

OK, so he has some electronic savvy. But, I'm thinking the real question that remains unanswered is....

........can he shop?

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