The Cozy Coupe Saga

So, I have been on the lookout for a Cozy Coupe (CC) since we moved to this house. I remember wanting one as a kid, but for some reason we never got one (we had enough toys already, really). I knew Gideon would LOVE one! Then, when I got some birthday money for him, I decided I would use it ($20) for that. I don't really buy anything new, especially toys, so I figured $20 was a good budget. I frequently checked kijiji, and had been out at garage sales every weekend since about March. I remember seeing several CC's at sales last year, when we didn't have a yard, but of course this year so far turned up nothing, and everyone on kijiji wanted more than $20.

I got a hot tip yesterday morning that there were a couple CC's for sale at the Value Village (VV) in the south end of the city. Like, I'm talking south city limits. In the SE. We live in the NW. So, it was going to be quite the trek. But I was really tired of looking every weekend at garage sales and coming up with nothing. So I decided to pack up the 3 kids and embark on an adventure. I tried not to think about it too much to save getting overwhelmed. I had to do some errands on the way, then I figured I could stop in at play group or something on the way home, especially if it was a bust.

Once we got going, I realized that I didn't really know where I was going, haha! I had looked up the location briefly when I got the message from my friend, and thought I knew where it was. But I meant to come back later and actually look up directions, but of course I forgot. So I called Dave because he has a GPS in his truck. He tried to look it up, but the only VV's he came up with were the one near us, and one in the more central south, but I was pretty sure it wasn't the one. I guessed the one I was looking for was too new? Anyway, so I wandered around where I thought it was for a while. At one point I had a feeling that I had gone too far north. I was getting closer to the one that Dave had told me about, but I didn't think was right. We had already been looking for a while, so we stopped at Tim Horton's for lunch. Then I didn't know whether to continue on, and maybe just go to the other one (maybe that one was it after all?), or go back and try looking again. My gut told me to go back, so I did. I got to the end of the road, basically at the south edge of the city. Still no VV. I decided to turn left, and find a place to turn around, and go back. Maybe I would just try the other VV. I went down that road until I could turn left again. I turned and was about to make a U-turn on that road, but something told me to keep going (I was heading north down a residential street). I kept wanting to turn left and make my way back to the main road, I even slowed down and signalled a couple times, but then something very strongly urged me to keep going. I'm sure the people behind me were SO annoyed, haha! Finally, I did make a left turn, and headed back toward the main road. Then at one point there was a bend in the road, and something told me to look over my right shoulder, so I did just for a split second, and there was VV! I totally WOULD NOT have seen it if I didn't look over my shoulder, and there were NO signs for it at all (that I could see, anyway), not in the mall sign, or along the road anywhere. It was basically hidden, I never would have found it from the main road. So that was really exciting! I totally believe that God led me there.

So I parked, and then decided that I would take Ruthie in the sling, Gideon in the stroller, and pray that Judith would listen to me while she walked free. I didn't think about it, so I didn't get overwhelmed. People stared at me wide-eyed as I walked in, but I didn't care. I was on a mission. I find that if I just focus on my goal and don't let myself get sidelined by the details and the "what if"s, then the details take care of themselves. So we went right to the toys. Nothing. My heart sank a little, but oh well. Judith of course dove right in and started playing with stuff. Then I happened to look up the aisle, and at the other end of the store, past all of the clothing, in the furniture section, was a CC! I swear that the car had a circle of white light around it and a chorus of angels started singing! I told Judith to follow me NOW, and I set off with my caravan of children towards my treasure. Suddenly there were 4 million people in the way. I tried not to bulldoze them too much. Then of course Judith was distracted my every. little. thing. along the way. Who in their crazy minds left so many toys along the aisle? And did there HAVE to be so many items of clothing with sequins along the way? Sheesh! Don't these people know that I *need* that car, and there were too many people looking around dangerously close to it? Don't they know what all I went through to get there? I was not going to lose it now! Finally, Judith spotted it too, and ran for it. As I took those final steps, I swear Chariots of Fire was playing in the background. It was MINE! ALL MINE! Oh wait, I mean Gideon's... I think he was excited too, but I couldn't see past my own emotions to care about his expression at the time, haha.

Then, I discovered that there were actually FOUR of them for sale! One was $20, one was $15, and two were $10. They all looked to be about the same quality to me. So I decided I would take a $10 one. One of them was not a Little Tykes one, it was another brand, and the horn didn't work. The other was an official, red-and-yellow one, and the steering wheel was a little loose (it doesn't actually turn the car though, it's just for holding on), but the horn worked, so I went with that one.

I got Judith to push it up to the cash. I probably had a triumphant look on my face the whole way, haha. Getting it to the van was a little stressful, as Judith was trying to run and push it all over the place and there were cars and yadda yadda yadda. But I had no choice, I couldn't handle it and the stroller and baby all at once. So we made it (there may have been a little yelling involved), and I got the kids and stroller in the van. But then the CC wouldn't fit in the back with the stroller, like just barely wouldn't fit, but enough that I couldn't get it in, any way I tried. So then I tried putting it in the middle seat beside Ruthie, but then the side door just barely wouldn't close. If anyone was watching me, I bet they were getting a kick out of it. Finally, I reclined the passenger seat and got the car in there. It just barely fit, and thankfully I'm a small person or it may have been poking into my side, but I got it in the van, damnit!

When we got home, Gideon (and Judith) was eager to try it. He really needed a diaper change though. So he spent quite a while sitting in the car, screaming his head off. He kept saying "Bum! Bum!" but refused to get out of the car because he was afraid that Judith would steal it. It was so sad! Finally I lured him inside with some (home made) french fries, and made Judith NOT TOUCH it while I changed him. Later, she decided to play with her scooter instead, and let Gideon play with the car freely, and all was well with the world. Next thing I knew, Gideon was playing on the bouncy horse, and Judith was in the car, and no one died. So hopefully they can come up with some kind of toy time-share and peacefully co-exist.



What an adventure, eh? I was so excited to be able to have such a fun story to share. Days like that are great.