Note to Self

Note to self: Do NOT take Little Boy in to Michaels (or any other party store, for that matter) until well after Halloween.

Here's why:

Last week, while standing in line at Michaels to exchange yarn colors, I noticed a little girl, about 4 years old, trot past the main Halloween displays with her 2 year old brother. Part of the display included an extremely creepy looking groom standing with a headless bride. Triggered by the children's motion, the groom sprang to life unexpectedly and cackled, "What do you think of my lovely bride? Ha, ha, ha, ha..."

I can honestly say that I have never heard a child scream as loudly as that little girl (and I have worked in preschool settings for over five years!) She leaped at least two feet in to the air and burst in to hysterical tears, which then caused her little brother to start sobbing uncontrollably as well. Their mother came tearing out of a near by aisle, most likely thinking her children were being kidnapped, and she spent the next ten minutes trying to calm them, to no avail. The family ended up leaving without purchasing anything in their cart, the little girl crying, "Don't make me walk past it again!" all the way out of the store.

Meanwhile, every customer in the store was glowering at the embarrassed Michaels employees, and every mother muttered, "I am NOT bringing my children in here for the rest of the year!"

Too sad! I can understand Spirit and Party City with their inappropriate Halloween displays, but I expected better from a family friendly craft store.

And speaking of inappropriate store displays, on the same day in the same store, I walked out of the knitting section and smack in to a huge CHRISTMAS display of ornaments, wreaths, and bows. Ahem...in case no one's noticed, we're barely through SEPTEMBER! I love Christmas more than anyone, but even I will concede that four months out is just too early for Christmas displays. I think I stood there stunned for a full minute before moving on, shaking my head.

What are stores coming to these days?!