Obsessed

I have written before that I often have a one track mind. When I set my mind to do something, you really can't stop me, even sans husband and with five kiddos tagging along. I simply make up my mind, usually jot down a list and I'm off hurrying to work on the task. My focus shifts as fast as the first goal is complete. It doesn't take long to find something new to fill my mind and time with.

I think this quality is a mixed bag of sorts. It's great to focus and get things done. But does it always have to be right now? Probably not. But I still do it anyway. I have a hard time putting it off once I get going. Rich, the sweet husband he is, has known me long enough to just go along with me. You see patience is not always my strong point. Maybe that is why the Lord gave me two sets of twins. He knew I needed working on. Last week one of my goals was to collect these. Yes, they are Happy Meal toys. But do not be confused. These are not just any silly old toys. These are Madame Alexander Dolls and I've been collecting them for years. Since 2002 to be precise. I wrote an entire Tuesday Tell All Post about collections and these little beauties happened to be the main focus. I love them. And now my girls love them. Great minds seem to think alike. And of course we had to collect them all.

I may seem like a freak, but I do go to great lengths to find these little bits of plastic. I call different McDonald's to see which dolls they have that day. I went to 3 different restaurants in an afternoon. Why? Because I don't want to have to hunt and search and think about it for long. I simply want to get them and be done with it. Sure, I could have hopped on eBay and bought a set for $20.00, but that seemed a bit overkill. I could do this on my own. And my girls enjoyed it as much as I did.

It's always a nice moment when you get your hands on the last one and know your insane trips to McDonald's are over. It's not like I don't like the place, but one can only eat so many Happy Meals in a weeks time. Thank heavens for chocolate milk and apple dippers that last a bit longer than french fries and a coke.

The day I found out about the dolls was a bit crazy. I just happened to go inside McDonald's on a Friday two weeks ago so they girls could play a bit. Since school has started this has been our weekly ritual. Go to lunch with the boys at school and then hit McDonald's after for a bit of food and fun. When we walked in I wondered if they were still going to have the Star Wars toys Matt liked. You see I only get a Happy Meal if I REALLY like the toy. Otherwise I only buy from the dollar menu. My eyes moved toward the toy display and to my amazement I spotted the word Madame Alexander on the side and my heart skipped a beat.

Then two things happened. I realized I left my cell phone home so I couldn't call and tell my mom or Marcie the good news. Then I read the sign on the cash register that said CASH ONLY. Their credit card connection was down. Not good. I only had 40 cents to my name. Really not good since Kaitlyn was hyperventilating "Toy, Slide" and Brynn had already climbed by herself into one of those nasty child chairs and was relaxing as we stood in line. We had to make a hasty exit and it hurt me as much as the girls. I was dying to get the dolls. I told the girls I had no money and I needed cash. They started chanting "No Money, Cash." It was cute, but also totally true.

So we drove to the McDonald's down the street that does not have a playland. We exited the van and walked inside only to spy the SAME SIGN. Augh!! Now I was desperate. I had to remove two VERY HUNGRY girls from our second McDonald's and quickly get to our bank. School pick up time was fast approaching and I was not going home empty handed. Plus I don't think the girls would have let me.

We finally got to the ATM up the street and the fellow ahead of us was having a very hard time working the machine. Seven minutes later (I know I was watching the clock) with 5 cars lined up behind me, I finally withdrew the needed cash that my daughters were cheering for. I happily held up the twenty dollar bill and smiled 'Cash'. We were finally in business.

We raced to McDonald's breezed through the empty drive thru (glad to know I'm not the only American with no real money in her wallet) and got a Dorothy and Glinda doll. Heaven. When I got home I called my mom, left a message with Marcie and sent out emails to family and friends that I knew collected. A week later we had all 12 dolls. Really we probably have like 20 dolls, but whose counting. Oh yeah, Rich is, but like I said he plays along. Thanks babe. Really.Obsessed? Maybe. Relieved it's over. YES! I'm a nut, but a happy nut with really cute dolls my girls are constantly packing around and playing with. Good times. Good times. Now I'll have to find something new to do. Oh yeah, like transfer ALL my photos to my external hard drive so I can once again upload photos from my camera. Like I said the fun never stops around here. Even for a moment....