disappointed...

...it started as a trip to Sonic. Sitting there with D and my siblings, I noticed the BRAND NEW Dollar Tree had opened!

(Blogger only lets me choose from five font sizes. I'm not sure if the size and bold red lettering really convey the excitement of the occasion but ... )

The new store was everything I had imagined it would be. Every shelf called my name. As I scurried up and down the aisles, filling my arms with things I didn't even know I needed, D gently requested that I limit my purchases to three.

I'm sure you are wondering what my three lucky selections were. The suspense ... Oh, get on with the story? Okay.

First - a GIANT panda stamp. A truly versatile item, the stamp is great because when I correct papers at school, the GIANT panda takes over the whole page. This investment was an all around winner.

Second - a 500 piece blueberry puzzle. I forced D to spend "quality time" putting this puzzle together with me and for two weeks, it took over my kitchen table. Hours of puzzle work later, and it was discovered that five pieces were missing. Strike one Dollar Tree.

Third - a plastic alligator that promised to grow by 600% when submerged in water. This purchased was obviously a no - brainer and the dollar prize I was most excited about. I saved it for weeks, waiting for the perfect time to unleash the gator. Finally, I secretly filled the tub with water late one night and tucked in my new gator friend. I went to sleep dreaming of a life sized alligator greeting whoever showered first in the morning.

Well, days later (or should I say LATOR lololololol... no? okay.) my gator is about 5% bigger and I recently noticed his legs and tail are curling upward like a shrimp that was cooked too long.

Really Dollar Tree?!? Strike three. Safe for now, but strike three.

For now, Gator is a part time resident of the tub floor. He may or may not be a permanent addition to our family but - let this be a cautionary tale. Dollar Tree prizes are not always what they seem...