On the second year of doing that layby with Kmart, I was sadly turned off it all thanks to the line up at a warehouse when picking it up. No one tells you that you have to wait for four hours, outside in the burning sun. Ex-H and Master L were waiting in the car. We had started doing tag team for waiting in the line which worked well until Ex-H didn't answer his phone on one particular occasion. I just assumed he was busy in the car with Master L. I tried a few times after and maybe fifteen minutes later I asked the people behind me to wait as I was just "going to the car quickly.. The one just there".. And I pointed about thirty meters away.
As I approached the car, leaned in the passengers window.. Ex-H had fallen asleep and was snoring. I yelled out at him a few times and he didn't budge. Until I got in the car and shook him awake. Master L was awake and chirpy in his seat in the back (window was down thank god)... I was SO angry! Ex-H was well aware of that.
This really turned me off the whole layby thing. Completely. Much rather grab a few things a couple of weeks out of Christmas then risk my son getting heat stroke or worse.
The following year I didn't do a layby. But this year.. I was talked into it. I was shown how "ok" it was and the benefits of it. I now also have two beautiful monkeys and being they are a little older a few things appealed to me. So I took a chance and bit the bullet. And it was a first for me to go to one at Midnight.
So E and I headed out to Carnes Hill. It was the Big W Toy Sale this time. Not Kmart. And the best thing is you don't have to wait for a particular date to get it all out.. You can do it anytime up until Christmas Eve. And still pay it off with my deposit. I was pretty happy when I found out this information!
I don't know if we were more excited about the fact that Gloria Jeans was open at Midnight (One night only for the Toy Sale Opening)... Or that there wasn't that many people as I had first thought there would be! I thought it would be pouring with people, fighting over toys, and running everywhere. But it was relatively calm. It was a bit cramped in some aisles but nothing too major. I myself was pretty excited. I wasn't having my own Autistic moments.. Phew!
As we were shopping.. It really didn't dawn on me the time lapse. I never looked at my phone but when I did.. It was 2am. E and I were having fun. The type of fun adults should be able to have without children. I wouldn't dare think about what my experience would have been like had I needed to take the children.
After the layby line up, and finally getting home around 3.30am, and waking feeling worse for wear...
Was it really worth it?
Yes. Yes because I had "time out". I enjoyed myself, even found my self laughing and having a good time playing with all the cool toys. I was feeling like a little kid again!
Will the boys appreciate it? Probably not. Would I do it again? Most defiantly!
Children in general create sleep deprived parents. Toy Sales is just the icing on the cake. You just can't eat this cake... Or the Children!
~ A ~
xxxxx
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