So I'm browsing my usual coupon/money-saving baby sites yesterday afternoon. You know. . the babycheapskate.com, coupons.com, dealsformoms.com, etc. and I see a post to remind me that the Toys R Us Labor Day Sale is going on. So I click on the flyer. . .because I need absolutely nothing from Toys R Us. . .
And I see it. The play kitchen. The kitchen I've been scouring countless craiglists ads and yardsales for. . .for months. . .and it's 50% off! I was hoping to get one used and in good condition. . .not only to give a toy a little more life, but to save my wallet the pain of these new toy kitchen prices. Which, let me tell you aren't really an option for a one-income family and run in the hundreds of dollars for a decent, wooden kitchen. . .without the accessories.
So back to the kitchen because I know you're on the edge of your seat. . .
At 50% off, this tiny (a necessity in our living space), wooden (score!), non-pink or pastel colored kitchen (you mean they come in boy colors, too?!?) is about 50 dollars! Must be a mistake! Must jump on this immediately! I get online immediately and figure the extra cost of shipping it is worth getting one at this price. . .I find it on the website, click "order me". . .and a picture of a onesie comes on the screen and says "thank you for your order."
No! I don't need a purple polka dotted onesie! I'm panicked and getting angry at this point and decide to brave the hold time and call customer service.
A friendly young man named Jason tells me that they are in the process of removing the kitchen deal from the website because in Toys R Us online land. . .they are indeed sold out. Darn! Oh, and I cancelled my order for the onesie.
I sit back on the couch and start watching some silly PBS cooking show and think, maybe there's one at my local store, still? Just maybe. . .
And don't you know. . . 35 minutes on hold and after asking four separate associates. . .someone tells me there are 4 in Nashua. . .yesssssss. . .
Are you bored with this story yet? I promise this is where it gets good. . .
But how big is the box? I drive a Subaru Impreza. . . Is it heavy? I'm 40 minutes away from my Toys R Us. . .will there still be any left? And I have to work in 2 hours and haven't ironed my clothes. . .argh. . .what to do? Does Cole really need this kitchen? Yes. Absolutely. So I give Bill the baby monitor (luckily Cole was napping), slam a cold piece of pizza down my throat and take off. . .
The car doesn't have a lot of gas but I'll make it there, at least. I'm speeding, tailgating. . .trying to gain some ground on my drive. I have to drive down this busy commercial street with a ton of lights and I'm hitting every red. . .I switch lanes to get in front of the pokey old people. . .run a few yellow lights. . .and I realize. . .I'm getting stressed out. My heart is beating fast, my jaw is clenched and I'm actually sweating a little. And the baby starts kicking (let's not forget about her!) and I start laughing out loud in the car!
I can't remember the last time I got myself all fired up for something like this. Probably the last thing I found for Cole that I really wanted to get him. . .maybe the day we got the Britax in the mail! ;-) I tell the kicking baby that it's amazing what her mother has turned into. . .and get to Toys R Us in record time.
I grab a carriage and am almost running to the "pretend play" section. Which is not really where moms of boys hang out, I'll admit. But this is important. . .and he's going to love it. . .and I do have a girl on the way. . .so I remind myself this will be a good purchase.
I run down the play kitchen aisle and scan the shelves. . .at least ten different models of huge, plastic kitchens. . .at least $100 each. . .ugh. . .they must be gone. I turn the corner and there it is. . .on display in the middle of the aisle for everyone to grab before me. . .and I see only 2 boxes left!!
There's a man (sort of big, too) literally holding one of the 2 boxes. The box he is holding is new, unopened and in good condition. The only box left on the display is torn open, dented and dirty. Oh man. And the guy says under his breath that he'll need a carriage to carry the kitchen. . .puts the box down and leaves.
I'm not going to spell out in black and white what happened at that point. . .but here's a stock photo of Cole's new (in an unopened box) play kitchen that he'll be getting this Christmas from Santa:
And come on. . .try to tell me honestly that you wouldn't have done the same thing!?! I mean, it's blue and everything!
I got it home and with this triumphant smile I said to Bill, "So. . .so. . .what do you think?" Without missing a beat he said "Cole is going to love it just as much as those little girls on the box."
He was right. . .the boxes were covered with little girls.
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