I keep seeing all these posts on my Facebook and Twitter news feeds saying things like, “Boycott Thanksgiving Shopping!” or “Big Retailer X is opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day. Show them that is not okay!”

Um. Alright. To me, if you don’t want to shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, don’t. Why the fuss? Why do you care if others do? What, you’re concerned for the religious sanctity of a secular national holiday like Thanksgiving?

I come from a family that shops on Black Friday. We are not the extreme crazies who crawl over children and old ladies in wheelchairs at 4:00 am to save $50 on a Playstation. We’re not those assholes. But, I join my extended family at the mall for some shopping and lunch after we draw our cousin’s name. You know, the cousin we shop for that year.

One year my dad gave each group of shoppers one of his high tech Walkie-Talkies. This was before smart phones and group texts. They were color-coded and we had code names. If you had the yellow Walkie-Talkie you were “Yellow Bird.” There was “Green Hornet,” “Blue Bird” and “Black Bear.” This was how we stayed in touch through the crowded mall. We could find the lunch spot with the shortest line, or notify everyone if they found the sweater for Grandma at the best price. My dad required us to use the code names, say “over” and “over and out.” Yes, that story about my family is absolutely true.

I understand why everyone is not all about Black Friday. When people misbehave, it’s a ridiculous display of everything that is wrong with capitalism. I get it.

I heard about the petition calling for Kmart workers to get time off at Thanksgiving. I understand they’re opening at 6am on Thanksgiving Day and remaining open for 42 hours. That’s a lot, but come on! Hospitals are open all the time. Those people want to take off, but may not be able to.

While I’m not working this year, in my adult life I have worked more Thanksgiving weekends than I have had them off. I worked at two different retail stores in college. Immediately after college I was in TV news and I knew that was part of the job. I can’t tell you how many Thanksgiving mornings I covered the local rescue mission’s turkey dinner or the Turkey 5K. If you get a job as a Sales Associate at Best Buy, chances are, your Thanksgiving is cut short because you gotta be in the store by midnight. That’s part of the job. I was always told, “If you want holidays off, get a job and the bank or the Post Office.” You know who else works Thanksgiving? LOTS OF PEOPLE! Including:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Law enforcement
• EMT
• Firefighters (You know some idiot will catch their house on fire because of a turkey fryer.)
• News people (Someone has to cover the house fires.)
• The Detroit Lions
• Whatever NFL team is beating the Lions.
• Al Roker with his giant scissors.
• The other hosts and crew of the Today Show. (Somebody has to put on the Macy’s parade.)
• The up-and-coming pop star on the Carvel float singing “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” in the parade.

I could go on and on. Kmart employees, you are not alone. Lots of people work on Thanksgiving. This petition and all this drama is making news because stores announced they are opening earlier on Thanksgiving Day. People having to work on Thanksgiving is not new. Get your holiday hours, bitch to your coworkers and survive. Yay capitalism! Happy Holidays!

When I wrote my Christmas plea on Thursday I didn’t anticipate we would have fulfilled this holiday wish in a weekend. Ya’ll are amazing! Seriously, thank you for the Tweets, emails, comments and Facebook messages. We were overwhelmed. The Internet can be an awesome place some times.

We couldn’t have done it without your tips. Some of you had friends who worked at Target and had insider information about shipments. Others found out the dolls would be featured in the Sunday newspaper circular and dolls were likely being stored in warehouses before restocking on Sunday. Friends from other states sent me Facebook messages after discovering dolls were near them. Others were coming to the Raleigh area soon and promised to look at their Target before traveling. One reader just moved to town and happened to find my post as she was searching for dolls for her niece. She offered to help us find dolls for Charlotte. It was all amazing. THANK YOU!

Creepy. We know. I told you they were huge dolls. Ugh. They’re gonna haunt my dreams.

I’ve had people ask me, how did we get from Target app searches to Mommy/Elsa Daddy/Anna selfies? How did we NOT have to resort to price gougers charging 3 TIMES the price of the dolls on eBay and Amazon? Some legwork and then some luck made it happen. To get hard-to-find toys for the 2014 holiday, I have these tips:

1. Put out the word! Tell Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and your blog (if you have one) that you need help. You’d be surprised. I heard, “Hey, just saw one returned at XYZ store yesterday.”
2. Keep checking online. Everyday. I got the tip to check early in the morning. Someone told me about sites like this one that keep track of merchandise at certain stores.
3. Be an early bird! Call stores first thing in the morning. That is when they are unloading shipments. On Saturday I snagged Elsa when I called and they randomly happened to get two Elsas off the truck that morning. I had them put one on hold for me. The other was gone when I got there. I’m glad they held it because I had to answer the door for some Jehovah’s Witnesses before I could get to Target. True story. It was crazy cold and they wanted to share a passage from Jeremiah. They were very nice. I listened, but I was thinking of Elsa. Greyson got Anna at 7:00am on a Sunday. I heard others say they tried the early morning thing and struck out.
4. Luck. We got lucky.

Another thing to consider is shipping cost.  Someone in another state found a toy my friend’s son wanted a few years ago and was able to ship it. Well, it was smaller. Shipping was likely less. These dolls are ginormous. Lord knows how much it would have cost to mail them. Yeesh! I likely could’ve bought them on eBay for that price. My sister-in-law in Denver tried to find out if she could get free shipping with her Target card or Red Card or whatever they call it. I had my feelers out everywhere, but I focused my search in-state for that reason.

Again, thank you! We were so touched that friends, family and total strangers were willing to help our daughter’s Christmas wishes come true. Anna and Elsa are tucked away in a storage closet, creepily staring into the dark until Christmas morning. Happy Holidays everyone!

It was late September or early October when she first saw them. It was during a weekly pilgrimage to our suburban Mecca. You know, Target. My babes were tucked into the cart as I turned down the toy aisle so my daughter could pick out a present for the multiple 4th birthday parties we’ve been to this fall. We were shopping for boys so she bargained with me to go to her favorite place on earth, the princess aisle in the toy department.

It was maybe 10 seconds after I turned the corner that I heard her gasp. “Anna and Elsa! They’re giant!” I turned to see two dolls as big as my 4-year-old staring out of boxes marked “Only at Target.” Here they are, My Size Elsa and My Size Anna:

Picture from eBay.com

Have you seen them? Trust me, you’d know if you saw them, they are freakishly child-sized.  Well, I haven’t seen them since that day. Believe me, I’ve been to Target since then. Now I’m kicking myself for the discussion that ensued.

Her: “Mama! Can we get those dolls?!”

Me: “No, we’re not buying toys for you today. We’re getting presents for your friends.”

Her: “Mom, I just want to get out of the cart to look at them! Can I look at them?”

Me: “Charlotte, you have a hard time when we come to the princess aisle. If I let you out of the cart, you can look at the dolls, but when I say it’s time to go, it’s time to go. No fussing about it.”

Her: “Okay!”

This is when I tried to take her picture with the boxes to send my husband so he could share in this insanity. He had to witness the continued brilliance of Disney marketing that we’ve marveled at since “Frozen” was released last year. My phone died right then, so I’ll just tell you that her eyes were glazed over as she peered through the clear plastic at her heroines who were suddenly her size.

Her: “Mama can we get them?! Please!!??”

Me: “No, I told you we’re not buying toys for you today.”

Here’s where I went wrong but didn’t know it.

Me: “Maybe this is something you can put on your Christmas list. You could ask Santa for one of the dolls.”

Her: “I want Anna AND Elsa!”

Naturally. What was I thinking? There is no Anna without Elsa. Oh, and of course they are $59.99 each. Great, $120 for a pair of Arendelle royalty that are so big, it’s like adding two more 4-year-olds to our household.

I managed to peel her away with threats and promises, but not without tears. She negotiated one more look at the dolls if she was really good for the rest of our shopping trip.

Her: “Can we please get giant Anna and Elsa today?!”

Me: “No.”

Her: “But they’re so pretty!!!”

Me: “You can ask Santa Claus for them!”

Stupid. Stupid. STUPID! Yes! Encourage the child to ask the magic man I’m responsible for keeping magical for a toy associated with the hottest kids’ movie that is exclusive to one retailer. I’m an idiot.

These dolls are gone online. They’re gone at the area Targets I have called or visited. There are 16 Target stores in the greater Raleigh, NC area. In case you were wondering, the automated message at any store you call is the same. I will say, Target customer service at each store has been kind and helpful. I appreciate them not laughing at me or throttling me when they hear my request. Apparently they get LOTS of calls about My Size Anna and Elsa. They told me to keep checking for shipments. I asked if they’d have more on Black Friday. They don’t know. They may have more shipments by then, but I highly doubt they’ll discount them on Black Friday. They’d be fools to do that. They know suckers like me will pay $60 for each.

The empty shelf at one local Target Monday, November 10, 2014

She still discusses giant Anna and Elsa and says this is what she’s asking Santa for. I really hoped she would forget. I have BOLO’s out after calling relatives in other cities. (BOLO= Be On The Lookout) Yes, I’ve seen the bids on eBay upwards of $300 for the two dolls. I’m not interested in doing that. I have not seen them on Craigslist.

The hunt is on, Target! I’m gonna make this happen. People of the Internet, if you see one, please tweet me @SomebodysParent or email me at somebodysparent@gmail.com. 

If I don’t get one or both dolls, this may be a life lesson she learns this holiday season. The lesson is “You don’t always get everything you ask for at Christmas.” Honestly, the kid is gonna get great “Frozen” stuff, regardless. But, on Christmas morning I want to be able to say I did everything I could to get her the dolls. (Within reason.) Thanks in advance for helping my Ho Ho Heart.

I zipped my sweet baby into a pumpkin costume for her first Halloween, just days before her first birthday. I’m a sucker for babies in fat pumpkin costumes. I think there are few things on earth cuter. A couple of months ago when my now almost 4-year-old and I discussed this year’s costume I tried to convince her to be Cinderella. Her brother could be the pumpkin. Cinderella and the pumpkin! I’d get my baby-pumpkin-fix and not have to buy another costume.

It’s Halloween 2014. So, you can imagine, that idea was put on ice. Pun intended. I did the appropriate Etsy price comparisons before grabbing these at the Halloween store as soon as it opened in early September:

She insisted her baby brother be Olaf. That was too cute to refuse. Thank goodness I bought them early, because the run on “Frozen” Halloween costumes is insane. Nearly every girl we know will be an Elsa or an Anna. We showed up at the neighborhood Halloween parade this past Saturday to a street corner filled with braided little girls, untangling their ice capes.

This “Frozen” Halloween hasn’t escaped parents on the Internet. We’re all having a good laugh. My favorite Facebook status came from a friend this week:

This meme is awesome. Halloween is on a Friday this year. Drink up!

I have heard some parents say they’re “so over it.” I get that. I do. We have been inundated with all things “Frozen” this past year. We start many days with the same burning question, “Do you wanna build a snowman?” Easter we all scrambled to find dolls for baskets. Parents wait in line the day shipments come into the Disney Store. In one group of friends, we are having trouble nailing down a date for a moms-night-out because we all have “Frozen On Ice” tickets that weekend. Idina Menzel’s powerful, beautiful ballad does wear on you after the millionth time in the car. Tell me you don’t think of Elsa when you say to a friend, “Hey man, let it go.” To say it’s a phenomenon is an understatement.

Here’s the thing. I’m okay with it. “Frozen” is a phenomenon for a reason. It’s a great movie. It’s not just a “princess movie.” So many little boys I know love it. I’ve seen a lot more Olaf, Kristoff and Sven merchandise for boys. My husband loves it too. He has said as the credits roll, “Yep, it’s good every time.”

Let’s also take a moment to appreciate that “Frozen” shows princesses as heroes. It is the love between sisters that saves the day in the end, not romantic love. Isn’t that something we all want our daughters to understand and appreciate?

That is why I will ask each little Elsa if they wanna build a snowman. I will ask each Anna about her trip from Arendelle. I will help them as they trip on their capes and repair their loose braids because all too soon our daughters will be begging us to be “sexy kittys” or any of the other horrible girl costumes I saw at the Halloween store back in September.

Happy Halloween, everyone. Enjoy seeing your daughter be a strong, fun princess on ice.

Images from Baby Name Wizard & Twitter.

Technically I’m no longer a journalist so I can say with conviction that my bleeding heart leans left and always has. Since the news will always be a part of my life as a news consumer, I woke up and checked my news apps and Twitter feed for whatever happened in the world while I slept. I saw it. Chelsea Clinton had her baby and…wait for it…named her CHARLOTTE!

Well, that’s my daughter’s name!

My emotions were two fold:

1. Initially, I had all this name-nerd rage. “That’s MY BABY’S NAME!!!!” That only lasted for a split second because I realized I didn’t invent the name, nor does my kid own it. Also, when I named her that nearly four years ago I knew it was on the rise in popularity. It wasn’t “Emma” or “Sophia” but, it was climbing the charts back in 2010. Also, I didn’t want a made up name, so naturally other people would have that name and I needed to slow my roll and calm down, for real. I did check to see if the high-priestess of baby names, Laura Wattenberg, had weighed in on this. She hadn’t yet.
2. Then I thought. “Ahhh! It’s the same name as a CLINTON BABY!!!! A Clinton!” I grew up during the Clinton administration when America was all like, “Peace and economic prosperity! Whoa! Did you hear someone cloned a sheep?! Let’s go watch an episode of ‘Friends.'”

The fact that I came of age in the 1990’s, coupled with my liberal leanings meant I got very excited about this baby. I speculated as to why they chose the name. I retweeted Chelsea’s tweet and posted it to Facebook and Instagram while chuckling at my friends’ comments. I thought of all the agony I put myself through before we chose the name I knew all along my heart was set on. No, my Charlotte wasn’t named after the largest city in my home state. She wasn’t named after “Charlotte’s Web,” although, that would be a wonderful reason to name a child Charlotte. Her name sounds lovely and looks great on a resume. Ultimately, it was just the most beautiful name to me, so we went with it.

I watched this ABC News report and listened as they said “Charlotte” over and over. I listened to my baby’s name with pride. I hope the Clinton family enjoys their Charlotte as much as we enjoy ours. The name means “free or freedom.” My Charlotte is witty, kind, feminine and fierce. She teaches us new things everyday. I can tell you Chelsea, that raising a Charlotte has made life more blessed, more wonderful and more free.

I imagined the one woman in this country who had previously named her baby “North” as she heard the news of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s baby and chuckled. Dude, I’ll take sharing taste in baby names with Chelsea Clinton over Kim Kardashian any day.