After Halloween Sales and Xmas Presents

We've hit the after-Halloween sales and scored. Target had 30 and 50% off. T got this renaissance princess dress and the cheetah dress you see in the xmas tree photos below. I think that technically, it's just a plain cheetah or cat costume, but i call it The Cheetah Girls dress and T loves it. Now, I have no idea where in the world T's been exposed to the cheetah girls, b/c we don't watch them at home, but she apparently knows all about them...whoever they are.

Anyway, I hadn't planned on buying T another stupid costume dress. God knows she's got more than enough of them. However, I found her big xmas present and bought it...with her with me! It's this huge, almost 3 ft tall, remote-controlled dinosaur named Spike. T spied it set up on display, and I couldn't drag her away from it. She was enthralled. Rarely does T become enthralled with toys in the toy department. We often walk through it and she hardly ever starts acting the brat saying she wants something or the other. I must admit she's really good that way.

To distract her from the huge box in our cart, I cleverly took her to the halloween sale aisle, and found this pictured dress. That was diversion enough...but clever mom went one step further ....I actually let her wear it over her clothes IN THE STORE as we finished our shopping!

That's it. Game over. T was in make-believe heaven. She even started singing a song from Enchanted as we made our way through the store. All thoughts of Spike in the cart were forgotten. I'm particularly proud of that expert piece of T-manipulation!

Spike is now happily hidden away in the closet. Unfortunately, T has a mind like a steel trap, and has been asking to play with the thing. I've responded that she has to wait until xmas, b/c santa said that she has to wait, and he's in charge of xmas. Mommy can't 2nd guess him. So far, this tact is having limited success. Lets just say that more distraction strategy is being employed left and right in this house. Never before has old mom suggested T watch so many movies as I have since Spike's purchase.

With the purchase of Spike the Dinosaur, I've now pretty much completed my xmas shopping...at least the hard presents, anyway. So, all you doubting Thomas's out there mocking my pre-xmas preparedness, I say just you wait. While you all are losing your minds, stressing out and trying to put up your tree, decorate for xmas, and shop for presents, you just think of old Carol. I'll be nice and relaxed enjoying the season and sipping on some spiked nog, basking in the glow of my xmas tree lights...for the next 8 weeks.

Now that's what I call Christmas cheer!