It didn't cross our chaotic minds to get our baby the little matching mittens as we were too caught up in the hustle of purchasing more essential winter garb for her, like the quilted coat, cardigans, warm trousers and so on. Then in the midst of the frenzy shopping, Oma's keen eyes spied the sweet but fashionable knitted hat and scarf. One look at the products, we gave her a quick nod signalling our approval. Off they went to the pram (which incidentally also served as our makeshift shopping bag for that day) to wait in line for the trip to the cashier later.
The man and I were dithering over what's necessary and what's not when good old Oma came in to keep us in check. Ok well, they're the ones paying so perhaps that's why. Hahaha.. Obediently, we put the remaining unsuccessful contenders back to their racks and proceeded to make the payment, with Opa's wallet already ready in hand, despite the long snaking line.
Happy with our loots, we headed home after a pleasant dinner.
I promptly washed the shopping the next day and waited impatiently for them to be air-dried. Oh yes, I did read the labels. Knits, coats etc and dryer really don't agree with each other.
The fall weather was clear and sunny but crisp. As the man was wrapping the little one up for her daily walk, I discovered, horror of horrors, that she only has a pair of fuchsia gloves to go with her beige knitted hat!! The glaring mismatch is an annoying sight. I determinedly resolved the unforgivable oversight must be fixed.
Two days later, I needed to be in the city to do an exchange and eagerly popped by the store in the hope of finding the matching gloves. No luck. They're sold out.
Shortly after that, the man chanced upon a gadget (among many) which caught his fancy and made up his mind finally to indulge himself this time. So off he rushed to the city happily in search of the device, but first not without my instruction to check out the store again if they had new stocks of the mittens. Sadly, we're second time unlucky. The man returned home empty-handed except for his new toy.
Infuriated, I racked deep in the brains where else I could get my hands on the hotcake mittens....
Then it hit me! The online shop, of course! Where else! Why didn't I think of that earlier?! And to think that I brag all the time how frequent I shop online! I truly deserved a good kick in the butt!
To my utmost relief, the online shop still carried the mittens! On the pretext of making the shipping cost worthwhile, I lingered on the website for some knits for myself. Then the man indiscreetly peeped to see what I was up to and asked the doomed question, 'Are you shopping for me?' To which, I gave the doomed reply, 'You need anything? We can check out their menswear.' His doomed answer, 'Not now. I am not in the mood to shop. Tomorrow maybe.'
The quintessential cheapskate in me still insisted on making the 4€ shipping cost worth its while, which led to the even doomed-est decision to wait till the next day to purchase the mittens.
Well, this is no Sherlock Holmes. All of you would have guessed by the time I visited the online shop again on the morrow, the mittens were gone! Gone, Gone, GONE!!! AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH! Why didn't I just get them there and then when they were available?! The hell with the 4€! I was THAT close to pulling all my hair out!
What should I do now? No matching mittens for my little girl? And subject her to the disdain and sneering of the fashion police and risk leaving her with psychological scars on her tender little soul and having her grew up as an insecure and painfully self-conscious young woman who's socially inadequate and facing the bleak prospects of living sadly ever after, alone?!! And all because of a pair of mittens?!
I shudder to think further.
I fail as a mother.
Photo credit: here
No comments:
Post a Comment