Once Upon a Present

Audrey has a new favorite thing.  These days she is all about her stethoscope, or as she says, stescoat.  I have a little Sesame Street doctor's kit passed down from my boys, and she has always liked it, but for some reason recently she has become totally fixated.

This weekend I decided that she needed her very own to take home with her.  I was going to run by and pick it up on my way to see them but they headed my way instead, so we decided to stop by Toys R Us on our way to all the STRAWBERRIES.

Owen fell asleep in the car, so Audrey and I headed inside the store, just the two of us.  Kate told her that we were going inside to get a "present."

Our first stop was to  look for a little something for Owen.  Interestingly enough I have no little baby chewy-type toys here.  I think Audrey pretty much raced right through that stage so I didn't stock up.  Seriously, y'all.  That kid never got the you're-a-baby-memo. 

I digress.  yet again.

It was funny how opinionated she was about Owo's "present."  I wanted some little chewy keys on a ring, but she wanted a more traditional teething ring that was, quite frankly, boring.  and about four dollars more.  But there was no talking her out of it.  So the ring it was.

It was at that point that I told her it was time to find her present, and I'm not kidding or exaggerating even at all when I tell you she started sing-songing loudly throughout the store, saying Preee-sennnt, where ARRRRE Youuu?  I was laughing my head off as I smiled and nodded at all the passersby, feeling about 76% foolish.  After we had meandered our way through half the store looking for the daggone Fisher Price stescoats a staff member walked us over to the right aisle.  and seriously, she was still calling out for her present.  The nice man pulled out two - a regular one and an extra-special pink one for girls - and was being all nice and aren't-you-cute-ish to her.

She took one look and not even hesitating says, "NO."  and was ready to move on.


Y'all.  She dissed my present.


In front of the nice Toys R Us clerk-guy.


I tried to explain that it was wonderful and terrific and she would love it, but she just kept cutting me off and declaring "NO" in a tone of voice that invited no discussion.  It obviously was not her present.  HA.  I honestly thought she was going to melt down if I kept pushing it, so i asked her if she would like a different present, and she was all over that idea, so we pressed on.

I'm here to tell you that we wandered all over that large store with her planted on my hip (because, you know, she's no longer a big girl), hanging on for dear life, looking for and calling out for - her present. 

After rejecting about a zillion options, all of which she shot down definitively, and one more trip to peek at the doctor's kit, we staggered out of the store without a single purchase.


I think she was a little disgusted that we couldn't locate her present.


In retrospect, we figured that she was looking for something a little more in the nature of a gift-wrapped box with a bow.  Go figure.


Later that night I went on a covert mission to pick it up for her, took the pieces out of the box and fixed up a gift bag for her.  On their way out of town they dropped by to pick it up.  I brought it out to the car and gave it her - and I kid you not - she says, "Itsa present!" 

She was quite busy drinking her milk and rubbing Puppy's ear, so we didn't bother opening it, but she seemed satisfied that all was as it should be.

Katie texted me a few minutes later informing that my girl was simply DELIGHTED with her gift. 

Evidently, according to Audrey she could hear her "stescoat" and it was "awesome."  There was also a "Thank you, Naynay, Good Present."

And then she fell asleep with it firmly planted in her ears, and I like to think a smile on her face.


The End.

 

Happy Thursday!


p.s.  I feel I should make it clear that that sweet toddler was not one bit cranky, or two-ish, throughout the whole shopping experience.  She was just as pleasantly resolved as could be :)