I asked Ben to start emailing me idea’s for Christmas gifts so he sent me a link to a nice set of headphones for work. Then he retracted with this:

from: Benjamin
to: Me
date: Dec 4, 2006 12:41 PM
subject: I only want one of these for xmas

link
–
Ben

from: Me
to: Benjamin
date: Dec 4, 2006 12:41 PM
subject: RE: I only want one of these for xmas

I’ll add this to my list of things to pick up this weekend!
–
Anna

Silly, silly man! Although, if I could I totally would. And I’d even let him drive it sometimes!!

Saturday my mom, Cassidy, Cameron and I went shopping… after we spent 25 minutes driving around looking for a parking place. Good. Lord. I love to shop, and I will endure a lot of things to do so, but 258,153 people who have no clue what the hell they are doing or where they are going or what’s going on around them almost kills the passion. Almost. I left my mom busy in Coldwater Creek trying on cruise clothes after about 5 minutes and told her the old people smell was getting to me and she could meet me at MAC. HA! She didn’t look nearly as amused as Cameron did.

After the three of them got done gorging themselves on Cold Stone, my mom told Cassidy that she could get a Build A Bear for Christmas. And since we were already at the mall, we could get it TODAY!

Once we got there she picked out the doll she wanted and we stood in line for 20 minutes before I started to go a little stir crazy so I headed to the bathroom and Cassidy started looking at clothes for Hello Kitty (which she later named Stacy). When I got out of the bathroom she had just started looking so I told her to hurry up because we needed to get back into line then went to see if my mom was getting close to the front. I left Cassidy for NO MORE than 45 seconds. Seriously. “Hi mom, oh you aren’t that close, I’ll go help Cassidy.”

In that 45 seconds she had managed to grab four outfits, four pair of shoes, a PJ set, slippers, a backpack, a purse, a set of hair bows, a pack of school supplies, a sleeping bag and a pillow.

Me: GOOD! LORD!!
Cassidy: What?
Me: What IS ALL THAT?
Cassidy: Everyting she needs!!
Me: I don’t think so. Put this back.
*put back sleeping bag and pillow*
Cassidy: What will she SLEEP IN?
Me: YOUR BED!
Cassidy: *sigh*
Me: And put three of the outfits back.
Cassidy: What will she wear TOMORROW?!
Me: The same thing she wore TODAY!
Cassidy: *rolls eyes*
Me: And put all this stuff back.
*puts back backpack, purse, school supplies, and bows*
Cassidy: But mom…
Me: You have this EXACT SAME Hello Kitty purse, Cassidy!! She can borrow yours! You have PLENTY of school supplies to share, you have at least 5 mini backpacks in your closet you never use, and enough hair things to dress up 2,000 little girls!
Me: And pick ONE pair of shoes.
Cassidy: ONE PAIR?! But… but. One pair?? Seriously?
Me: ONE PAIR! Nana isn’t going to buy you FOUR pair of shoes today. You can get enough for ONE outfit and maybe Santa will bring you some more, or get you a gift certificate to come get more, or you can spend some of YOUR money on these things. Now, pick ONE pair.

When I was telling my mom about all this Cassidy interrupted me…

Cassidy: And I had to pick ONE PAIR of shoes, Nana.

I could tell my mom was about to give in and let her go back and get more but I gave her that look of SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU’VE SPOILED HER ENOUGH TODAY and she didn’t. Instead she quipped:

Mom: Well, we know where she gets THAT from.
*stares daggers into me*
Me: Yeah, the shopping gene has been passed down from ONE generation to the NEXT for MANY YEARS NOW.
*puts up shield, deflects daggers, gains +2 defense and inflicts +3 damage to enemy*

I like that my mom is a shopping pal now instead of the overbearing mother she was a few years ago. And that she finally is starting to understand my humor.

P.S. - RUN to your nearest MAC and pick up some Glitter Liner. It’s fantastic and only available for a limited time. It goes on perfectly and dry’s quicky to set in place for hours and is SO MUCH FUN.