****You will probably need to pause the music box to be able to hear my kids on the video**** :-)

Wow! What a rush, shopping yesterday and today. Dawn and I got up and went shopping at 5 am on Thanksgiving, We didn't do too bad with the deals, either. I managed to get everything I set out for, and have now made a HUGE dent in my Christmas shopping.

Meijer had a sale that started at 6 am, so we went in the store at 5 (open 24 hours) and loaded our carts full, then hung out near the register until 6 to check out. That part of the trip went very smoothly and we were out of the store by 6:10 am.

The next part of our plan was to head to Kmart, which opened at 7 am. We pulled in the parking lot at 6:15 and saw a crowd forming at the door. *sigh* This meant that we'd have to stand out in the freezing cold for 45 minutes- not my idea of a fun time, but I'd do it to get the toys that my kids wanted. I really wish I had worn long underwear. I think I will buy some before next year, LOL. And maybe I’ll being hot chocolate. J

We were pretty close to the front of the line (and everyone was actually standing in a nice line and not pushing). Dawn was heading one way to get an item that we both wanted (divide and conquer, LOL, the best way to do this) and I was going to head to toys. As I was trying to get into the door, people started pushing and one woman ran a cart into my hand, tearing off the top of my thumb nail. I was so cold that I didn't even feel it until I thawed out in toys, but man! That hurt. I grabbed a baby doll that I wanted for Ella and a couple of games for the boys. There was an older woman trying to reach a game on a high shelf, and no on near her would even help her. *sheesh* People lose all sense of manners and ethics when faced with sales like this. I went and got the game down for her and set out to find Dawn again.

Dawn was stuck in the electronics department, LOL. The crowd was so thick that she couldn't just walk right through. Ugh..... It was just crazy. As soon as she could make a break for it, we finished everything else up quickly and got the heck out of there.

Today was even worse, of course. Shawn and I both went (with all 3 kids) at 4 am and so did Dawn and Rob. Luckily, my kids love this kind of stuff (Ella kept saying, "Shop-ing? Shop-ing?). We decided we could accomplish more if we had a higher number of people shopping, LOL. Shawn wanted to get me a new camera and I had some things that I needed for the kids, so he took the boys with him. We were at Walmart, and they do things differently. They put out giant skid of sale products wrapped in black plastic and then cut the plastic off at 5 am. MY GOODNESS!  One woman was, literally, laying across the skid of pajamas to ensure that she got what she wanted right at 5. I have never seen anything like this.

You knew when 5 am hit, because the noise and energy was just crazy.I didn't need anything on any of the skids, so I found a quiet aisle to keep Ella away from the crowd. Shawn kept Cody down in a cart so that the crowd didn't hurt him. (We decided that next year we will just find a sitter. I didn't realize how insane people can get over these deals, it is nuts!) Somehow we managed  to, again, get everything we wanted and I honestly had fun, but was very glad to leave the store. :-) We all met for breakfast afterward to tell our war stories, LOL.  :-)

Cody after leaving Walmart

Deuce trying to sleep after Walmart

Ella taking a nursing break while we waited for Rob and Dawn to meet us for breakfast.

(Oh, and ALL of the pics taken in the van were taken while we were PARKED in the restaurant’s parking lot…  My kids NEVER ride without seatbelts, and I just noticed that it could have appeared that way, LOL.)

Shawn was in a great mood, considering that he HATES crowded places, LOL.. or, maybe he was just thrilled to finally be out of the store????

Dawn didn't want her pic taken, so Rob is representing both of the M******'s, LOL