Hey all! Last week I shared with everyone the incredible challenge Horizon Goodwill threw out there with the Grand Prize being an iPad Mini. It’s no secret, I want that prize, and I told my wife and daughter all about my plan to win it over dinner the other night. As a dad and a husband, I’m used to sacrificing for my family. Sometimes it’s little things like being forced to watch “Frozen” for the twentieth time when the Pirates are taking a shutout into the 9th, or having to muster up a smile when Missy makes vegetarian hot dogs (yes, there is such a product…and they taste just how you would expect).
You would think by now I would know when to keep my personal plans, well, personal. This whole Back2School Fashion Challenge is quickly turning into my own personal Waterloo. Allow me to explain…
My Daughter Has Always Wanted An iPad Mini
So, Kaitlyn and I are setting the table as my wife is preparing turkey burgers for dinner. I’ve actually developed a taste for turkey burgers, I mean, what other choice do I have? Every meal in my house is taken directly from the “Eat This, Not That!” cookbook Missy purchased last year, yes, at the Martinsburg Horizon Goodwill store.
Why, I have no idea, but I started telling my youngest that I was going on a pilgrimage of sorts the following day, hitting every Horizon Goodwill store in the area in order to create the perfect Back To School ensemble. This was a bit confusing for her eight year old mind, as she’s the one going back to school, not me. This evolved into a detailed description of the Back2School Fashion Challenge. Sorry? Oh, you haven’t heard about it yet? Well, I might as well share all the details with you, too, as it looks like competition is getting fierce. Here you go:
At this point, Missy enters with her latest healthy, creative meal. I can’t even remember what the side dish was, but it was a purplish orange…“What are you two talking about?” ”Mommy, I want to win an iPad Mini!” Uh-oh, looks like Kaitlyn’s throwing her hat in the ring as well. Quick, John, say something to eliminate this new competitor. That iPad Mini is destined to be yours!
“Yeah, well, I don’t know, Kaitlyn. Grandma already bought you some back to school stuff, this is more for Daddy.” Missy shot me the stink eye. That never ends well. Her eyes turned back to those of a caring mom as she spoke to her little girl. “Kaitlyn, tell mommy about this contest.”
Kailtyn grinned as she excitedly responded. “Daddy said if you go to Horizon Goodwill and buy stuff until September fourth, and you put pictures of you wearing it on Facebook and that other place…which site was it again?”
“Instagram”, I sighed.
“Yeah, Instagram, and if you get like, the most likes, you can win an iPad Mini. Oh, but you can’t spend more than…how much, daddy?”
“Twenty-five dollars or less”, I mumbled.
Missy turned back to me, stink eye again in place. “Hmm, sounds like fun. Daddy, why don’t you take Kaitlyn shopping at Horizon Goodwill with you and see what she can come up with, what do you say?”
What could I say? This is just like the time years ago when I had my heart set on getting a dog. I just wanted a companion who would sit and watch baseball with me, listen to all my problems, and maybe snuggle with. The Mrs. put the kibosh on that, but then two weeks later, as a reward for a good report card, she takes my son to the Humane Society and now we have Marshall…and he wants nothing to do with me…ever.
Ok, I can deal with this. Competition will only improve my game, even if it’s my daughter. Let’s do this!
“Sure, she can come with me. Who knows, maybe she’ll win, right?”
Missy placed a heaping spoonful of Purple Orange on my plate, smiled and said “You know, my tablet has been acting up lately. Maybe I’ll come along, too. Hey, you never know…”
One more thing…why am I forced to eat stuff totally unrecognizable but healthy, and Kaitlyn, who is out with her mother right now, just texted me this picture?
