Big Box Stores and Belly Laughs

Lest you judge, I'm just going to be straightforward and blunt about this.  I shop at Wal-Mart.  There, I said it. 

I have my own qualms about all the issues related to big box stores and all the ways in which these stores are not the prettiest reflection of our culture.  I also don't feel great about how this particular store has been cited for less than supportive employment practices.  But, the fact is, I still shop there, or perhaps the better description of what I do at Wal-Mart is wander.  

I've never really been a big "shopper" in general, but when I used to live in an area where there were malls, I would, on occasion, wander around a mall.  I now live in an area where there are no malls, but there is a Wal-Mart about twenty minutes up the road.  And there are days, particularly this winter as of late, when it simply isn't reasonable to go outside for a walk with Buster.  We get to about 3pm and he's already made the rounds of a couple naps, lots of indoor playtime (including baby flashcards, by the way, for those of you who still might be judging me) and we are in desperate need of a change of venue.  So, I load up my baby boy and we head to Wal-Mart.

Our little trip serves a variety of purposes.  One is that Buster really doesn't nap well the later in the day it gets, although he is clearly tired.  So a little car ride is a sure-fire way to get him to snooze a bit.  Another purpose is that, at this age, seated in his carseat while riding in a shopping cart and looking around at all sorts of things like lights, boxes, colors, people, etc. truly seems entertaining to Buster.  He's usually mesmerized by the experience. 

A final purpose is related to a quest that I'm on.  It's the quest for the belly laugh.  I've heard it a couple times, and I have to say that I feel like an addict of sorts.  That first belly laugh was so rewarding that I find myself just wanting more.  I'm a baby belly laugh junkie, and Wal-Mart has the makings for my fix:  Hoops and Yoyo greeting cards.  Buster finds these guys VERY funny.

So, after we've made a couple wandering laps around the various departments, we settle on Greeting Cards.  And I show him card after audio card of Hoops and Yoyo.  I laugh in an exaggerated way hoping to encourage the elusive but oh-so-worth-it belly laugh from my tiny Wal-Mart companion.  And, my bet is that I sound like a raving lunatic.  In fact, there may even be secret footage of me on someone's cell phone that they are intending to send into that website called People of Wal-Mart or Wal-Mart People or something like that.  But, quite frankly, I don't care, its worth it to me.


The temperature when we got up this morning was -12F.   I have a feeling its just that kind of day.  Hoops and Yoyo, here we come.