He shoots, he scores!

I think I have written about my son's obsession with balls once or twice before.  It's somewhat comical. Unless he doesn't get the object of his desire and then its more tragic. He literally wants every ball he sees. Seriously, I think his first word was ball.

While out on my daily shopping spree at Target, I have to make sure I avoid the aisles with the athletic equipment or I won't hear the end of it. If you want to make my son happy – just hand him a ball. Which actually explains why we now own 32 balls. I have handed him a ball more than twice just to gain some sanity while making the decision between veggie or cheese pizza. I mean really, who can make that kind of decision with a screaming kid in the cart? It takes concentration.

I'd call it an obsession. There is never less than 10 balls at any given time strewn about the living room. Golf balls, footballs, basketballs, soccer balls. No sport is left unrepresented. And now making baskets in about everything he can fit a ball into is the sport "du jour".  Which for the most part is fine. Yeah, its great when I'm using the bathroom and he wants to make baskets in the sink. Or when we are at grandma's and he wants to make baskets in the firewood bucket.

But it becomes a bit embarrassing when the balls are actually plums and the baskets are trash cans. Which prompted this letter:


Dear Mother's Markets,
I know I don't have to tell you this, but your aisles are so very, very small. And I know you know this, because you have those cute little "mini" carts all lined up outside, ready and waiting for us to navigate your ultra slender aisles.

So with this incredible knowledge of your aisle sizing, why do you insist on restocking your produce, canned goods, etc., in the middle of the day blocking access to much needed lunch staples for the kiddo?

If you restocked your aisles after hours or in the morning, I wouldn't be forced to leave the kiddo parked in said "cute"cart unattended, next to the giant pile of plums that he will ultimately mistake for "balls" and proceed to throw into the trash can strategically placed below him and yell "Goal!". It's extremely embarrassing to have to yell across the store at him to stop throwing plums into the trash multiple times while I try to navigate the push carts and boxes strewn about in front of the produce case. All while people shoot me looks as if I shouldn't have attempted to procure those apples in the first place.

Please Mother's Market, I enjoy partaking your fantastic organic products, could you help a mother of a ball obsessed toddler and restock your items after hours? All the other stores are doing it.

Thanks a bunch,

Mom of ball obsessed toddler.

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