At Least I’m Not Blogging From a Jail Cell

After an eventful afternoon shopping with my mom, we were so happy to get home yesterday with a clean criminal record.  Who knew I would barely miss getting arrested for shoplifting at two different stores?  Going shopping in my family is an adventure.  And a possible initiation into the criminal world….

First we went to Sam Moon’s in north Fort Worth.  We’ve been anticipating this trip for a while and were so excited to get there bright and early!  Grace went with us, so we were armed with a stroller, a Leapster with choices of games, a doodle pad, a book, and a purse full of snacks.  I was prepared to allow her quality time with her video learning games and gummies fruit snacks so mom and I could enjoy browsing this huge dream of an accessory store.  (By the way, the Gift/Luggage Shop and the Home Decor Store are now open, too!)

I’ve already shopped there twice in the past few weeks, so I restrained myself and just picked up a couple of little hair accessories for Grace and new necklace set, but my mom scored some great buys.  She got lots of Christmas shopping done and even found some cute things for herself.  If you’ve been to Sam Moon’s, you know that there are no shopping carts.  Since we ran out of room in the small hand basket, we were hanging cute purses on the arms of Grace’s stroller. 

Security at this place is pretty tight.  There is a uniformed guard posted right at the front door and employees are stationed at various places around the store just to keep an eye on customers and tidy up the displays.  There are strict rules about not opening up plastic wraps or trying on jewelry…if you do, a store employee will come running over and take the stuff out of your hands and warn you to obey the rules in order to shop in their store.  (Not that that’s based on personal experience…).

Anyway, we shopped for a long time, paid for our purchases, and left the store, waving at the security guard on our way out.  Halfway to the car, I noticed that there was a leather purse hanging from Grace’s stroller.  Ummm…mom…did you buy that purse?  We went back into the store and I explained to the security guard that we had forgotten to purchase the purse since it was hanging on the stroller.  Thankfully he was pretty cool and little shocked that he missed us walking out with it.  (Everything is bagged up tight and knotted after you pay.) 

I can only imagine what might have happened had the security guard noticed the purse before we did.  My parents might have had a difficult time explaining to the church why the pastor’s wife is coming home from Texas with a criminal record.

Next we went to Gardenridge.  We found some cute Christmas ornaments that Mom decided to buy as gifts.  Then we walked all over the store and were pretty disappointed that Gardenridge is just not what it used to be.  Unless, of course, you are buying scrubs.  Nurses must love that place.  But I’m still trying to figure out what that has to do with gardening and home decor. 

Anyway, we decided to leave, still discussing how much we disliked the new Gardenridge inventory.  As we were unloading Grace from the shopping cart, we noticed the Christmas ornaments that Mom was going to purchase.  Hello!  She went back in the store and paid for them. 

During our last stop at Kohl’s we made extra-sure everything was out of the shopping cart BEFORE we left the store!  Thankfully we got home with no trouble.  I’m grateful that I didn’t scar my daughter for life with images of Mom and Mimi getting arrested for shoplifting.