Dorm Shopping. AKA: The Difference Between Boys and Girls

Today was supposed to be our Day of Fun with Clark. We had to take Joshua into Little Rock, because his group was going to a matinee showing of "HAIRSPRAY" at the dinner theater. So, Holly decided to call it Holly and Clark's Day of Fun...we were going to spend the day shopping for Clark's dorm room items.

And, in case you don't already know...and despite the fact that TARGET wants to tell you different...there is a difference between boys and girls.

Never is that more evident that when you take them shopping for their dorm room.

Let's go back 8 years, to when Holly was a Freshman and starting at OBU. She had met her roommate one time, and they'd made a plan to meet and shop for ALL THE THINGS. Back then, Little Rock had a store called, "Linens 'n' Things," and that was the first place we hit.

And we put the HURT ON.

Those girls went nuts. Everything was pink and orange and pink and yellow and pink and pink.

We had bedding and towels and lamps and art for the walls and shower mats and shower curtains and dishes and glasses and all kinds of little decorative items. And it ALL coordinated. And they had to have it ALL. 

It was so exciting. The girls were just getting to know each other, so they were part guarded-with-their-feelings and part grown-up and part little girl...because they would SQUEAL when they saw things that made them happy. And that made us moms happy.

I think you get the idea. I came home from that trip feeling happy, excited, peaceful...and confident that Holly was going to have such a great year with her roommate. And she did.

Contrast that to today.

After we dropped Joshua off, we hit the mall. Clark wanted a backpack from Eddie Bauer, because they have a lifetime warranty. We've gotten all the kids a backpack from there, and Logan's has been replaced 2 times already. For freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. But we walked in, and Clark did a quick sweep of the room. He saw that they didn't have the one he wanted. I told him we could order it on-line, and he said, "okay...and walked out of the store."

Wait. Are we done here?

We decided to go down to the food court and eat.

After lunch, we went to American Eagle, where I practically had to beg him to look for things. Seriously? We left with nothing, even tho he'd said he wanted some of their khakis...he decided to wait. For what, I do not know.

Next, we went to Bath and Body Works...this was for me. He said, AND I QUOTE: "I've never been in this girly-store." 

We decided out work was done at the mall, and headed to Target. There was a certain bedding that he wanted, and that was the only thing he was looking for. Gray bedding. Gray comforter or quilt. Gray sheets. Gray towels. Gray shower mat. I picked up 4 washcloths, and he said, "what are those?" And I said, "washcloths." And he said, "I DON'T USE THOSE."

His room was beginning to look like where GRAY went to die.

They didn't have the bedding he wanted in the size we needed, so he was done. D-O-N-E. As in, are we leaving now?

Holly finally got him to look at school supplies, because...ya know...you might need a pencil. 

We also bought some hangars, Command hooks, shelves to go on the top of his desk and little "bins" to go in the cubbies. He did not see the need for any of this at all. We were standing there in the aisle, the three of us...Holly and I were trying to convince Clark that he needed a fan...and this random girl comes up and goes, in a Fat Amy voice from Pitch Perfect (except not British), "uhhhhhhm, if you are going to collage, you have GOT to take a fan. It's, like, SO important. Seriously. I'm, like, a senior, and I will tell you that you need more than you think you'll need."

WHAT?

GO AWAY.

Girlfriend was just trying to help, but I'd about had it with this whole day. I went from laughing hysterically and the things Holly and Clark were saying...to about wanting to cry. And I went from wanting to hug him and never let him go...to wanting to strangle him because he was being so stubborn.

We left Target with a buggy full of stuff, and no bedding...which is why we went there to begin with. We headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond. As we walked in, I told the kids, "I am feeling hopeful about this place." Newsflash: NO BEDDING.

I mean, they had SOME bedding. But they didn't have ANY bedding that was plain gray or plain dark gray or plain light gray...with no pleats, pin-tucks, stripes, texture, or pattern on it. Other than that...TONS.

And, guess what? RANDO girl was there, too.

It was a little after 2 by this point, and we needed to pick up Joshua by 3...so we headed out. I saw that we were going to have a little extra time, so I decided to go to this ghetto Target on the other side of town. Maybe THEY would have the plain, gray, unpatterned bedding.

Uhhhhhm. NO. They did not. But, as I was circling the parking lot, looking for a place to park, guess who walked by our car? RANDO GIRL.

And guess what we found at the ghetto Target? Bedding.

And guess what color it was? GREEN.

WHAT?

Driving home, I was so frustrated. I think if I'd had all boys and no girl, I would think it had been a fairly successful day. I remember Logan's shopping day being kind of the same...he did not care at ALL about anything we bought for his dorm, or any of the school supplies...because his roommate was bringing a giant TV. But I just remembered how much FUN Holly's shopping day was...and this was not like that at ALL.

I felt like we were butting heads with Clark over everything...and he was sending updates and pictures to Faith-the-girlfriend. I asked him if he was okay, and he said that he was having a good time.

Tonight, we had choir and it was a lot of fun. Half-way through the service, our minister of music stopped the practice to introduce new some people, and that was a lot of fun. And THEN, he said he wanted to acknowledge two students who will be going off to college...and this was their last choir practice to attend before they moved...and one was a girl in the soprano section, and one was Faith-the-girlfriend.

And I don't know...the tears just started flowing. FROM MY EYES. And they were not stopping. He told us to put our hands on them, if they were close to us, and pray over them...so all the sopranos were praying excited, happy prayers over that girl...but the alto section? Faith-the-girlfriend saw my face, and SHE started crying. Then, when her mom prayed for her, she also prayed for Clark...and then HOLLY started crying...and then the women sitting on either side of Faith-the-girlfriend started crying...and I'm not even kidding, by the time we said, "Amen," the entire alto section was sobbing.

Good times.

One lady told me, "I was bawling like a baby, and I don't even have one going to college."

Happy times...sad times.

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8