The Little Things We Expect From Our Children

I recently told this story at a party we attended and felt it was blog worthy so I am sharing it.

During Lauren’s junior and senior years of high school she worked at a well known sporting goods store (Academy). As an employee she received a decent employee discount. I think it was 25% or something. During Christmas of one of the years she was working there we made arrangements for her to meet us at Academy so we could do some Christmas shopping and she could save us some money. Yes, I am openly admitting that we used her discount. So, sue me!

Keep in mind this store has everything from clothing to fishing and camping gear. There’s not much you can’t get there, except milk and eggs. We shopped and shopped and ended up buying most of the younger kids Santa gifts and also some gifts for our nieces and nephews.

When we were finally finished shopping we called Lauren to come on up to the store to meet us so we could give her the basket of goodies and the money to pay for the stuff and use her discount. We were going to make the exchange and wait over by the exercise equipment right next to the check out area. We had a wide variety of items in our completely loaded down basket and the look on her face when she saw the basket was one I will never forget. Let’s just say it was the look of complete horror. She was so not happy and not looking forward to going through the line to make this very large purchase. We really didn’t give her much of an option. It was her duty as our child to help us save some money at this time of year.

I’m not sure if it was the bicycle, the roller blades, the skateboard, the basketball, the Astros jerseys, ball caps or what exactly it was to cause her such embarrassment, but if I had to bet on it, I’d go with the bicycle. I do remember her saying something like, “Do you really think they’re going to believe I’m buying my brother a bicycle for Christmas?”

As we waited for her to pay we got the giggles as she continued to shoot us dirty looks the entire time she stood waiting in line. They were the I can’t stop laughing we really need to get out of here giggles.

In the end she saved us over $150 so it was well worth the attitude she gave us for it. I’m sure she was mortified at the young age of 16, but she eventually recovered. That was the one and only time she ever did that for us. It just wasn’t worth forcing her to do it at gun point the following year.