Steal!

I love thrift stores.
So I was in one the other day
with Elizabeth.
She was looking for more dress up stuff.
She found a glittery, red, twirly skirt.
She was preparing her list of the reasons she needed that skirt
when suddenly a man walked by carrying a big doll house.

Her jaw went slack.
Her eyes doubled in size.
Her head swiveled to keep her eye on it.
I would bet that her heart skipped a beat
because mine did.

I had this conversation with myself in 1.2 seconds:
"THAT is an amazing doll house, a lot like Grandma McKinley's,
which she loves, and I'm sure I saw a bag of furniture and stuff in there.
How much would be too much for that? It's huge. We don't have room for it.
She's going to want that BAD. She's going to be so sad when I tell her we can't get it.
It's got to be 50 bucks or so. Oh man, I want that for her and I know we can't get it. Sigh."


I looked down and saw my daughter's huge, brown eyes looking up at me
asking,
pleading,
longing.

I asked her if she would like to go look at that doll house?
"Oh yes!"
and off she goes.

I follow her.
I'm wavering between telling myself that we CANNOT get it
and calculating bills, checking, savings, piggy banks and change in the couch
so I can get it for her.

We walk up to it.
She is imagining it all set up in her room.
I'm waiting for the price tag to come into focus as we get closer.
Then I see it.
I blink.
What?


(cue heavenly angels singing)



Seriously?
Now I start wiggling everything.
Trying to find all of the flaws.
It's VERY solid.
It's got LOTS of pieces.
It's PERFECT for my Lizzy Belle.

"Mommy, can I get this?"
(She has a little wallet that she keeps in my purse
that is full of birthday and valentine money
that she wants to spend everywhere we go
but I always say no because it's junk
and that makes her sad)

"Where would we put it?"
In my closet.
"Your closet is full."
We can move the Barbies out.
"Really?"
I want this more. I really love it. Pleeeeeaaaaase?
"Well, you have more than enough money if you want to buy it."
Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!


As I carried it to the cash register
I was asked by 2 other shoppers if we were donating that.
Ha!
Not on your life!



Behold the proud owner
of her very own doll house.