Costco: Your Neighborhood Tattoo Parlor

I have to preface this little story with a tidbit about Evelyn. She hates leaving the house. It's usually a huge ordeal of telling her that she HAS to go. Once we are gone though, she usually gets upset when I tell her we're done running errands and have to go home. "One more store mommy! Please!" I don't get it. Anyway....

When I tell her we have to go to Costco she runs to get her shoes on. She loves Costco. The big aisles to run up and down (yes, that's my crazy kid that I'm letting run) are a great way to burn off a little energy. But it's not the aisles or giant packages of food that are so fun. Oh no. It's the smiley face.

If you're a Costco regular you know that they check your receipt on your way out the door. If you have littles with you, they draw a smiley face on the back for them. They will also draw a smiley face on your child's hand if they ask. This is the pinnacle of the shopping experience for Evelyn. It's worth leaving the house without a fuss for.

So we are at Costco this afternoon to pick up an 800 lbs. bag of potatoes and a bag of chips large enough to feed the neighborhood and Evelyn happily hands the receipt to the checker to mark it for us. He draws her a smiley face on the back. She lets him know that it's for Annabelle and that her smiley face belongs on her hand. His response, "oh I'm sorry honey, I only have a permanent marker and that won't wash off!"

WHAT?!?!

My 2-year-old is sobbing and inconsolable. That smiley face is a big deal in her little world.

But are you kidding me? Not wash off?

I used to teach middle school and know how much pubescent early teenagers love to color on themselves. I can assure you that the girl who once was in love didn't love Demetrius forever and that her arm won't have to say so the rest of her life.

And the adult who accidentally gets sharpie on his hand didn't have to live with that slip-up forever.

For goodness sake there would be no tattoo parlors if you could color on yourself (or get it done in bulk at Costco in the check-out line) and have it last forever.

Rant over.

The trip was solidified as unpleasant when I walked out of Costco with my mess of a sobbing daughter looking like complete grunge myself and ran into Scott's boss. Awesome.