Chris and I have been doing a lot of shopping together, way more than usual. Generally we mostly shop separately, but it just so happens that we've had several opportunities lately to do our Christmas shopping together, which has been fun. I'm so used to shopping alone, so it's brought back some memories for me.
Some of my best memories from my childhood are of shopping with my mom. When we lived in Arizona and didn't have a car, we would walk or take the bus to the mall. I was young, and I remember being very tired from all the walking, but I still always wanted to go. Later, when I was older and we were back in Michigan, we had a car and would drive to the local mall and shop clearance racks at our favorite stores. Sometimes we would have lunch in the department store's restaurant. At Christmas time, I remember being so hot while dealing with mobs of fellow customers and long lines, and struggling to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list.
Whenever we were shopping for someone else, or didn't have much money, we would invariably see a million things we'd like to buy. Other times when we were specifically shopping for something in particular, it was impossible to find! Actually, that's still the case now that I'm all grown up! My mom is petite, and years ago there just wasn't the selection that exists today. Nowadays, whether you're shopping for plus size dresses or petite jeans, there are so many more choices available.
At back to school time, I made it a point to go out shopping with just Bethany, and Chris took Connor. Juggling four kids and one on one time is tricky, but shopping with mom (or dad) is a special time I'd like to share with each of my kids at least a few times a year. I'm hoping that as my girls get older, all three of them will want to go shopping with me. I've never really imagined myself as a mom with older kids, but I think it will be fun. Connor actually likes to shop too, and I'd love to have shopping time with him as well, but I think he might enjoy it more without his sisters sometimes. They can be indecisive and dramatic, which understandably annoys him when he's trying to pick something out and be done with it.
We're so close to being done with our Christmas shopping now, and I fear that once again we've overdone it just a little bit. But when I suggested to Chris that maybe we should return a few things, he wouldn't hear of it. I guess that's the topic for another post...
Have you gotten a good start on your holiday shopping? Do you love to shop or loathe it?
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