REALITY CHECK

Now I know I'm a mom. Yesterday, while absent-mindedly strolling the girls through the Target baby section, I happened to see that they were having a sale on THE BEST brand named car seat on the market. FOR HALF OFF! People. This is big. It's the highest rated in safety, ease in use, style, etc. and it's the number one recommended brand by pediatrician and safety specialists. And, it's one of the most expensive you can buy.

Being a mother of twins and having to buy things in duplicate, you can imagine how expensive things can get (especially when said mother has a problem passing a Baby Gap without taking a look-see). So I drag the girls around Target to find the nearest sales associate who I hoped would tell me what I wanted to hear.

But he doesn't.

Instead, he points me to another car seat that was on sale. BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONE I WANT! I want to scream. I ask politely if he could contact other stores in the area for me. Apparently he doesn't understand me because he looks as if I asked him for the family jewels! Downtrodden, I trudge back to the Jeep with the girls in tow. But, I am re-energized by the time we get home. I can't let a deal like that pass me up! I call eight different Targets. In the midst of it, I discover that some other desperate mother was calling as well, or so an unhelpful sales girl informed me. OHN! This is war now lady! You've just upped the ante!

Right about now, Maggie is "Mama mama mama-ing" away as her internal clock has just informed her that 5:30 p.m. has come and gone. She's crawling towards me with a determined look in her eye, but I'm just as determined to find these car seats. I shoot off an email to all out-of-state relatives to be on the lookout. I snap at yet another Target employee. YES, YOU DO CARRY THIS BRAND! I break into a sweat.

Finally, I can hold out no more and I throw in the towel. I slam my phone down, grab the girls and prepare and serve dinner. I am dejected. Why oh why didn't I go to Target this weekend like I had planned?

Maggie and Audrey yet again succeed in cheering me up with their dinner-time banter. I decide to make one last call to the Target in Auburn Hills.

And guess what?

They have TWO left! While talking to the sales lady, strike that, begging the sales lady to hold the car seats (and contemplating bribing her with some of the money I will have saved from the sale), I'm grabbing the girls, the dogs, the purse and keys and making my way out the door. It's now 7:00 p.m. and one hour away from bedtime. The lady says no and I grumble that I'm on my way. I pick up the husband and we trek it out to Great Lakes Crossing. I jump out as J pulls to a rolling stop, yelling back that I'd be ready for a fight if I caught someone with her paws on my car seats.

Out of breath, I make it to the display. There is nothing there. NOTHING. Umm... I search frantically behind other boxes. I page a sales associate. I find one. When she gets there, I ask her where the other one is. As if she was hoarding them in the back room somewhere. She says that she remembers speaking with me and that she did see two there. I contemplate wandering around the store looking for the box and demanding that the perpertrator return the seat to its rightful owner. Seriously, I thought of this. Briefly. But I did. I call J up, who is sitting in the parking lot with two very sleepy and very cranky Beans. What can he do? I don't know, but I thought he'd have at least one idea!

So, I bought it. And now I'll get the other one at full price, I'm sure, but at least I saved $$$ on this one! I never thought I'd see the day...I ran around town once for a dress that I had to have. And I stayed up all night for Spartan season tickets and New Kids on the Block tickets. But this? A car seat!?!? Shows you what I'd do for a Bean. This, and much much more.