Birthday shopping and strange choices

 

The twins celebrate their birthday this week and we’ve been out shopping. The thing is, generally I pick out clothes for them on my own. And it works fine for us. We rarely shop together. But come June and they want to choose their clothes for the big day.

I like shopping. Or at least I used to think I liked shopping till I started doing it for the children, with the children. Now I just plain dread it. Do read my previous post on my experience in the mall.

If you’ve read the post and are back here you’ll know how I feel. Of course the children have grown since then however one thing remains the same – my firm belief that shopping and kids do not mix.

But something’s just have to be done. Hence, it is with great trepidation that we set out for the shopping trip and with even greater apprehension that I enter that first store. In the girls’ section we look for a place for H to make himself comfortable. We move onto the dresses the and N likes one almost instantly which I think is borderline over the top – a white frothy concoction with shiny lace. I prefer another one in a slightly muted colour, a lovely colour, if I may add. She tries both. Pictures are promptly dispatched to the aunt who is perceived as the more fashionable one. (Seriously!) She okays the daughter’s choice. I give in, glad to have gotten over with it in the very first store. We keep the dress aside and walk to another floor to look for the son’s clothes.

The salesman shows all kinds of fancy shirts – formal ones, informal ones, jackets, hoodies as also trousers, shorts and what not. He looks at them, rejects most, tries a few then says no to the rest of them too. I want a plain tee, he keeps insisting. The salesman pulls out all kinds of plain tees but they are all rejected. No one can fathom what he wants.

Never mind, I console myself at least one is done. Down we go to pick up N’s dress. And she refuses to buy it. Just refuses.
What if I find something l like better in the next store, she argues.
But there will always be better clothes out there somewhere, I reason. if you like this one, take it.
She digs in her heels, No she says, I want to check out more shops.

So we leave the dress and go on.

We spend an hour and half sorting through scores of clothes in scores of shops with an extremely bored H dragging his feet, disappearing in the lanes and by lanes looking for ‘something to eat’. And then when we would finish with one shop we would have to go looking for him before we entered the next one. He didn’t find any food and nor did we find another dress. So back we go to the same store, pick up the same dress (which mercifully was still there) and we are half way through.

We then head to a nearby mall for a quick lunch. H spots a branded sports store and drags me there. He picks out a jersey set.
This is what I want, says he with absolute certainty.

What? A teeshirt and a pair of shorts? That, by the way, cost way more than the daughter’s dress and don’t look half as as glam.

It’s their birthday, I remind myself, even as the son is saying the same thing on a loop. So we buy the jersey and head home after a good four hours. I’m not complaining though, I’ve been let off relatively easily this year.

Wait for their birthday pictures people – while she will be looking like a frothy concoction out of a fairytale, he is prepared to look his own version of Messy on the football field.

Choices I tell you!

Linking up with Mackenzie at Reflections from Me

20 Replies to “Birthday shopping and strange choices”

  1. It can be indeed a tough call with kids but a fun narration. I can spend a whole day visiting mall and end up not getting things that I need. Or the one that I need doesn’t fit. It’s tragic you know:)

  2. Funny indeed.. But kids do sometimes make choices based on their own beliefs.. and not what looks glam or not. Awaiting the bday pics of the twins in their new attire they have shopped!!!

  3. ha ha! That was funny. I am sure shopping with them would have been a chore 😛
    Better luck next time! Or better – why not take them to a multi-brand mall- leave them to pick what they like why you surf things that you want 😉
    Parul Thakur recently put up this amazing post…Wait. Let me find another chore.My Profile

  4. Hehehe, quite a day you had!

    I hate shopping! I totally abhor the idea of it. While I love clothes, bags and shoes shopping is something I dislike. I hate walking around from one shop to another and trying out things. It drives me nuts! When I do go shopping I go with a list, pick them and come back. Trial rooms and their queues tire me out! Online shopping zindabad.

    My husband is just like a kid when it comes to shopping. I finish my shopping in the first store and he in the 286th one. And picks the same thing we saw in the first one! Gosh, love makes you do dangerous things 😛
    Soumya recently put up this amazing post…Three, Two, OneMy Profile

    1. Oh your husband sounds like my daughter. Seriosuly! It freaks me out. I don’t mind shopping but I dislike the fuss and I tire out after and hour or two. Agree on those changing room queues – SUCH a pain!!

  5. I just read the previous post. You were definitely lucky! Lol! Looking forward to the pics! I still love fairy tales, Messy too!(Shhh don’t tell DH) Sending a big birthday hug to H and N each! ❤️

  6. Hahaha a frothy concoction you say… ROFL… I agree you have been let off quite easily. Your son already has fashion statement in the making. You are going to have some interesting shopping trips in future My best wishes to the twins
    Rajlakshmi recently put up this amazing post…Camellias & ZentangleMy Profile

  7. haha…well, at least H found something. I actually like shopping alone or used to. These days I just do it online. I am yet to shop with M but I get frustrated shopping with S and he is a grown man. In fact, shopping with him is torture! He just doesn’t like anything. And my sister is always indecisive so I take the decisions when I’m with her.
    Nabanita Dhar recently put up this amazing post…I Was Depressed OnceMy Profile

    1. Oh even I’ve come to realise that I like shopping on my own. The only exception is having my sister along – that’s the only better thing than shopping alone.

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