1/2 non-receipt returns redeemed.

I'm a little nervous about the next 364 days. Today, we had to use one of our two non-receipt returns. Here's the background (you will be on the edge of your couch seat): Maddie loves The Littlest Petshop (TLP). Perhaps it's the animals' big heads and little bodies. Perhaps, it's the qualifier, "littlest." I mean, it can't get any smaller because it is the littlest, period. Anyway, that's not the point. We found this TLP carrying case at Target. (And by carrying case, we mean a cheap, plastic Caboodle without guts, and a TLP sticker slapped on the front - and a $20 pricetag.) Anyway, it was the last one. And scarcity is the most powerful marketing influencer. (I just made that up - I'm a leader.) Yes, so it was the last one, and it didn't have a tag, barcode, etc. I took the shelf sticker up to the counter, but the cashier couldn't use that. She just had to put in $19.99 general merchandise and hit the "Enter" button. Somehow, I knew I'd be returning this rather ambiguously-recorded item.

So, today, we returned the item. Except we lost the receipt. Actually, we lost it again. We found it once, and lost it again. So, today, we returned an item without a barcode and no receipt. That's dumb. But, after 20 mins of looking up the item's ID code and begging for store credit, we got it!

Then, I forgot to use it when we made our purchases.

In case you're wondering, as I'm sure you are, we opted for a less expensive and higher quality Home Depot organizer. We will be pimping it out with TLP stickers and paraphernalia, wrapping it up, and putting it under the tree.

I'd like to see this post go viral. Send it to seven friends in the next seven minutes or you won't get anything for Christmas.

PS: I spelled paraphernalia correctly on the first try. Top that.

family photo.

We got Hudsen to smile. Only 30 takes. No doubt this Christmas is going to be awesome.

the baby!

Last Monday, we had our first ultrasound and saw the heartbeat for Adams #5 - either Nathan or Camille. Today, Nicole felt the baby move for the first time. Only about five more months left for me to convince Nicole that a van is cool.