"KidsMarket Receiving"

Saturday morning was the contributors sign-up day for the consignment sale I participate in. For years now my sister and I have been doing whatever it takes to be part of the first 250 shoppers. This year was no exception, just a little different.

My sister had to work, so in her place she sent her husband, Mikey. Not just Mikey, but our friend Lisa also has a new baby, and she sent her husband, Glazer. So, it was me and the guys. Now, let me tell you to what lengths we go to be able to shop early.

I pulled out of my driveway at eleven o'clock AT NIGHT. Driving my dad's 12 passenger van, I went and picked up Mikey. He said, "I feel like we are doing something mischevious." Then we picked up Glazer. While loading his pillow and blankets into the van, Glazer said "I guess this means we are getting old."

In the past when I've went with my sister, we have fun working on our items, getting something to eat, and just laughing our heads off. This time was just totally different. We signed in at midnight taking #96,#97, and #98.

We decided to go get something to eat before we settled down for the night. We went and ate at the Purple Onion. I had forgotten how many people are still out and kickin' it in the middle of the night. The place was covered up the whole time we were there. We joked about which of the people dining around us were also contributing to KidsMarket...the drag queen, the fraternity boys, or the cowboy dressed in black.

When we got back to the parking lot, we found a place beside the curb so that we could unload our larger items out beside the van to make room for the air mattress. That's right people, we took out two benches worth of seats so the boys could have room for their air mattress. I gracefully took the bench for myself. When Mikey finally figured out how to get the air mattress to blow up, we were in business. Words cannot describe the sight of them getting cozy all wrapped up in their quilts. It was just precious.

We were asleep by 1:30, but we had to get back up at 3 o'clock for a roll call. The boys accused me of doing a little snoring, but I'm not sure I believe them. We got back to the van to get more sleep, and thats when the misery started.

Mikey is notorious for snoring, but I hadn't heard him earlier, so I thought maybe, just maybe sleeping on an air mattress agreed with him. I was wrong, W.R.O.N.G., wrong! He snored and never stopped, not just that, but it was freezing in the van. I was bundled in my quilt trying not to let any cold air under my covers. I wanted to knock Mikey in the head, but that would have meant I would have had to get up to reach him. I don't know how Glazer was sleeping through it.

Those 3 hours felt like they were never going to end. I was so glad to see the sun that morning. By 5:45, the sign-in sheet was up to # 345. We lined up at 7:15 to take our stuff in and we were out of there and headed home by 8 o'clock. Some of those poor souls were going to be waiting all day for their # to come around.

I signed my mom and sister-in-law Jenny up after the 3 o'clock roll call, so they just showed up that morning to turn their stuff in. I know it was kinda cheating, but my mom was at home with my kids, so I had to do it!

Some people may think we have lost our minds for doing this, but I think its worth it. I get all the clothes, shoes, accessories, and whatever else I could possibly need for the kids that season. And, in all honesty, we had a fun time.

I'm ready to trade the men for the girls next time. Or, I'm going to have to find some poor sucker who loves me and my kids enough to tough it out in a van for the night...all for the sake of a great sale.

We will be shopping in a few weeks, and I am so pumped!