And The Bear Came Too: Dinosaurs and umbrellas

Yesterday was the NCT nearly new sale. These sales are great for bargains in good condition but can be a bit of a scrum requiring lots of patience or a planned attack. As an NCT member we got 30 minutes head start over nonmembers which is a big advantage (although it helps stop rioting if you can find your membership card when you arrive but thankfully I know enough of the other members I got in).

Isaac has been after an umbrella for a while (his old one broke and had to be quietly binned) so that was on my mission. As were pants - where do pants go? We used to have lots but they all seem to have disappeared. Isabel has outgrown the smallest wellies we have but is still too small for the next ones up (we seemed to skip a size with Isaac - it must have been summer). Isaac always needs more jeans (the knees are going in his). And Isabel is into jigsaws big style at the moment so I was keeping an eye out for those. So shopping list in my mind I did a quick sweep of the hall (noting how much stair gates sell for as I went so I can sell them next time) and 23 minutes later I was out of the door with my wares - there weren't many trousers for Isaac but one pair was found. I found a pair of lovely long shorts for Isabel (girls shorts seem to be hotpants in most shops for some reason). A few jigsaws (50p for 2 is my kind of shopping). I managed to find one bundle of pants but they seemed to be in short supply - I guess it's not just our house that loses them. Two umbrellas (I am wise enough to know we needed more than one but obviously couldn't get two the same it being a second hand sale so they now fight over who gets which brolly but the favourite changes by the hour). I managed to find a pair of wellies too. List done! And things not on the list... a small shopping trolley and a bag of dinosaurs - both big hits. A pair of crocs for Isabel - although she'll have grown out of them in minutes by the looks of things and that was me done.