All by myself

Tomorrow is a Big Day!  Tomorrow is a milestone I have been waiting years for. 

I'm going to Sam's Club ALONE!!! 

I've never been to Sam's Club alone. Not once. Ever. Never in the 6 years of having a Sam's Club membership have I ever walked in those doors alone.

We got the membership to stock up on things before Havoc was born. DH naturally accompanied me. He's a born shopper and since we were both working the only time either of us could go was on the weekends. We spent far more time looking at auto supplies and tool related things than I would have liked.

Havoc accompanied me after that, which meant my visits were purpose driven, with a strict baby boredom threshold for a time limit. I couldn't browse if I wanted too. Mayhem then joined us and the time became shorter. Run in, grab 2 boxes of diapers, a bag of frozen chicken, 3 gallons of milk, a couple of those huge juice bottles and the biggest thing of paper towels I can find, then dash out.  Some days the boys could be bribed with a book or small toy and I was able to check out the aisles more thoroughly, picking up vanilla, 9lbs of chocolate chips and a bag of rice so heavy I could not lift it out of my car (I think we are still eating it). But those were rare, and I had to choose my aisles carefully. Would the distraction last through the bakery and the canned goods aisle? Could I possibly, just maybe, stretch to the wine department or should I really be headed towards breakfast foods?

Last year they were both in school half days but I never had an opportunity to go to Sams during that time. School was only 2.5 hours long, and it was a private school so I had to pick them up & drop the off. 2.5 hours is almost, but not quite enough time to go to Sam's. Sam's is 50 miles away. It takes me an hour to get there with traffic & back road speed limits. This leaves me 30 minutes to shop, which given the lines & lack of checkers I usually encounter there, is just about enough to run in & grab 2 things. No one goes to Sam's, runs in and grabs 2 things. I can't imagine driving an hour just to buy 2 things I could just as easily get at Wal Mart (In a reduced size). So I went to Sam's after school, with small boys eager to run around. Instead of being able to consider the merits & pricing of things, I had to be constantly on my guard, keeping an eye on the boys. Where is Havoc? What does Mayhem have in his hands? Why did they have to get too big to strap in the cart?

Occasionally I have gone into Sam's with friends. Sometimes we'd stop there at the end of a Girl's Day Out. (we're such a wild bunch). But there is no way 3 or 4 women can go browsing together in Sams. Not unless they have a UHaul with them. Even if each of you only buy 1 thing the cargo space in the vehicle becomes severely tested. Even with a Suburban.

I hear they sell computer games & things at Sams.  And books, I've caught glimpses of books during my mad dashes back to the laundry detergent section. Someone said they bought a camera there. A camera?! Even, so I am told, sports bras and socks. Tomorrow I get to find out. Thanks to the wonders of public school preschool being longer & bussing available, I get almost 4.5 hours alone every day and I am going to Sam's as soon as Mayhem gets on the bus.

I hope I have enough time.