Emily, the great hat burglar

This morning, before Hope's doctor appointment (nose is on the mend, by the way - or so says my doctor), we made a stop at Mountain Equipment Co-op. I've been in desperate need of a new hat since my friend, Meredith, lent me, eight years ago, the one she bought in Korea. I've been wearing it ever since. So, today I went to buy a new one. Kind of stupid time of year actually, because the selection is pretty picked over, but I just wanted a hat to keep me warm, that was fairly cheap and would get me through to next year when I have the foresight to buy one before the snow flies.

So, I was searching through what was left in the bins. Emily was doing the same, trying on every hat she put her hands on, dropping them on the floor, running off to look at (destroy) something else. Finally, I just grabbed a hat that fit, we paid, and went out to the parking lot. I loaded both kids in the car and was folding the stroller to put it in the trunk when I noticed two hats in the bottom of the stroller that Emily had obviously chucked in there. I, needless to say, had not paid for them. I paused for all of one second, got in the car and drove away.

Who is at fault here, really? The two and a half year old who doesn't fully understand the idea of paying for things, and who probably thought she was helping, or maybe she was just playing and about 1.5 seconds after putting them in there was into something else and had completely forgotten about those hats, and also, didn't really care? Or is it the 34-year old mother of two that was supposed to be watching said toddler while also trying to find a hat and stick a soother in a fussy baby's mouth? Well, really here is what the issue is:

(1) I'm a bit of a criminal
(2) I'm a bit lazy

I should have gone back in the store. But there was no damn way I was unloading both kids and walking back in. Not for hats that were on sale for $4.50. Karma has got me back though. Just look below:































Possibly the ugliest bounty anyone has ever made off with. They are only slightly worse than the one I actually paid for:
















Folks, crime doesn't pay.