Bullseye!

I loved this post over at BloggingBaby. Since the Child was born it feels like I live at Target. I'm drawn to it like a crawling baby to a sharp object. I'm almost ashamed to say this but I'm compelled to go there about once a week. I make up reasons to spend what little money I make on things that I've convinced myself I need. The first outing that I made with my girl, 10 days after having her, was to Target. The Hubby and I packed up our new little bundle of (colic-y) joy and off we went to buy baby wipes and Diaper Genie refills. We didn't really need any but I needed an excuse to get out of the house. After that first successful outing I was hooked.

Like that first visit even if I don't really need anything I'll make up an excuse to go just because I like walking around that store. And its a hell of a lot better than staying home alone with a needy infant. There I see other women who, like me, are toting small babies in their red carriages. We smile and nod at each other and sometimes strike up short conversations. We secretly size each other up (c'mon, you know you do it too): our wardrobes, if the other one has done anything more than run a brush through her hair and swiped on some lip-balm, what's in each other's cart. Its more of an affirmation than a competition. I don't care if the woman I'm in the Baby Food aisle with is wearing sweatpants that look like they belong to her husband. Because, chances are, I was out shopping the week before in a very similar outfit. It feels great to find other women, like me, who need that excuse to leave the monotony of their daily routine and find solace in racks of Isaac Mizrahi clothes, the shelves of Pampers, and the pull of cheap books that will never be read.

For months the need for my weekly Target excursion was my dirty, little secret... until it got brought up by another woman at the Mother's Group that I attend that she, too, spent a lot of time there. Soon every woman in the room was fessing up to bringing their kids to the yuppie Mecca of Discount Stores. These mothers went there when their babies wouldn't nap, or in those desperate hours before their Husbands came home from work. It wasn't to get anything they needed, it was for their sanity. How happy I was that I didn't have to hide in shame anymore. It was like attending an AA meeting, except we weren't giving up our addiction. We were celebrating it.

Are you a Target lover?