I LOVE TARGET!

I you read my pouting last night, you'd know I was starting to freak a little about the boy's Halloween costume. Not all of it - just that darn vest.

Logan can be quite particular when he wants to be. The vest, you see, could not be any old plain tannish looking vest. It had to have pockets. It had to have the little patch on it just like Diego's - the animal rescuer patch with Mama and Baby Jaguar. These were exact specifications that any short-cutting around would surely lead to one very unhappy boy come Friday morning.

I had already looked in nearly every store I could think of. I even, I shudder to admit it, dragged Megan into that big monster store that I despise - the mega-store with that starts with "W". (Now, now, now. I know some of you love that place. I also understand that in some places, the big monster W place is nice and tidy. The ones near us, however, are not. They are chaos spilling across multiple aisles. The smells, the disorder, the nasty people slamming carts around - none of it makes me happy. And friends, normally I am a *very* happy shopper.

So we left that place empty handed. We left the store with the giant K on it too. We left the sporting good store without the hunting vest. We went back to the place that tends to suck my wallet dry. Target. I really do love Target.

I had looked there already and I honestly wasn't going in to look for this vest. I had a list of other 'must gets' that I knew I could find there. We picked out my new winter gloves. We headed to the kid's department to find Megan a pair of mittens. And there it was.

Tucked on the end-cap of a rack near the main aisle was my sanity. A three-piece, regular, wear it every day Diego outfit. . .complete with *the* vest. THE vest, people. The real vest with the pockets *AND* the animal rescuer patch. There it was. Ripe for the taking. So I took it.

Creativity and cost savings be damned. We're talking about sanity here.

Of course, when all is said and done I saved myself about a total of $2 by not getting the actual costume. After you total up the 3 piece clothing set and the orange plush (but usable) Rescue Pack, I didn't pay much less than I would have with the actual costume. The difference, however, is the outfit can be worn again and again and again...and the one piece - vest, shirt, pants all printed on the same cheesey nylon-ish fabric - could not be worn again.

Logan will be home from school soon. I will show him my find. He will be estatic. We will try it on. In my excitement I grabbed a 5T. Sometimes he is. Sometimes he is not. We will see how big it is. We will assume the pants - very normal, non-stamped with any signs of branding pants - will sit in his closet until he grows into them...but grow into them he will. He will wear the long-sleeve Diego laden shirt at will. He will have his vest with pockets and patch.

And I. I will get another night off without having to curse at my sewing machine.

This is a good thing. It is a very good thing.