The Rules of Goodwill

Due to Sitter Jen's children's spring break, Annie and I have spent the last Friday and Monday together at home. And it was rainy and gross most of the weekend, so we were trapped indoors. When it was a moderately tolerable temperature yesterday afternoon, I decided we were going on an outing if it killed us. My original plan was to go scope out dining room tables (I want a new one) at Refind Room (cute name for a resale shop, no?).

They were closed.

So I decided on the 112th next best place....Goodwill.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Goodwill. I used to go there fairly regularly pre-Annie, but taking her in her current phase of lightning speed coupled with fierce independence seemed less than ideal. But I was apparently on a mission to buy something second hand.

We walked in and she was instantly taken with the rows and rows of clothes and racks and stacks of....things. There was a section of kids toys and I spotted a little toddler boy climbing off this gem:

And it looked just like this. Shiny and new and only $4!

As soon as toddler boy moved on to another ridey toy, I snatched this thing up and plopped Annie on it. She loved it. She scooted around Goodwill for a solid 23 seconds. I consider that a resounding endorsement for a toy when it comes to our dear Annie.

But as she's known to do, she would pop off the toy and go try to grab something else. It was at these times that the Goodwill vultures would start circling. In an awkward moment I had to pry toddler boy's hands off the worm all the while pleading with my eyes to his onlooking father to get this kid of MY INCHWORM! No dice. Apparently the Dad had collaborated with his son on a retrieval effort, because he was of no help.

An elderly woman tried to swipe it out from under me, quite literally. Like, my foot was resting on one of the wheels while I watched Annie rifle through a puzzle box that was missing about 125 of the 200 pieces. I put my hand down on it and explained nicely that we intended to purchase the worm.

Nerves frazzled, I hissed "MINE!" at a four year old girl who lingered a bit too long by The Worm.

And so it went for the next 15 minutes. If I so much glanced away from this worm, someone was all over it. It took me a while to learn that possession is 100% of the law in Goodwill. If you put it down, it's fair game. So when Annie made a mad dash for the back of the store while we were waiting in the checkout line, you bet your bottom dollar I grabbed that worm and ran after her. I didn't make it that far to lose The Worm to that Mom that was commenting on it's pristine condition in line behind us. No siree.

By the time Annie, Worm, and I made it to the cashier, I was sweating, my head was pounding and Annie had was now enthralled with the sparkling wares of the jewelry case as she hung upside-down from my arm (other arm holding Worm).

But we made it home with Worm and made it halfway down the block before Annie ditched it for a neighbor's toy car that had been abandoned on the sidewalk. If it ends up collecting dust, I plan on auctioning it off in the Goodwill parking lot to the highest bidder.