Detective Work

Don’t let the featured image fool you. Prepare yourself for one of the most unprofessional and one of my worst blog posts in months. :P

Why, hello there! It’s Ellie. A few days ago, Madison went with her mom to the store voluntarily – in fact, her mom even agreed to hold off on the shopping trip to the next day just so Madison could find it in her schedule to go.

Which isn’t normal.

I might not be the best gymnast in the family like Molly, and I might not be a wanna-be ninja like Chloe. But I know when Madison’s up to something! I could be a junior detective. ;)

I stood quite uncomfortably with my feet in the cupholders of the car door. We usually take our minivan, but it was in the shop so we took Madison’s older sister’s car. As I placed my hands on the car windowsill, I began to deliberate over my reasons for why Madison was most definitely up to something.

She never goes to the store with her mom. Ever.

One, because she doesn’t have the time.

Two, because personally, she’s a huge saver. Like, I can’t even remember the last time she bought something at the store. Not because she couldn’t afford it, but because she just likes to save up her money so that big things like this don’t cause a moment’s hesitation.

So why on earth would she be going with her money?

I’m glad you asked, friends. Because that’s exactly what I’ve come along to find out.

“I observe we are here,” I told Madison as the car pulled to a stop. Thinking detective-y questions, I demanded, “Walmart, eh? When’s the last time you personally bought something at Walmart?“

“December 2015,” Madison answered promptly, unbuckling her seat belt with a satisfying click of freedom.

December 2015? I guessed this was annual. Then that would be…

Oh, no.

Christmas shopping.

This is going to be disastrous, I realized. But it was too late to stop Madison from going.

“I don’t know why you wanted to come,” Madi sighed as she peeled me off from clutching the windowsill in shock and placed me in the floorboard. “You know you’re gonna have to lay here until I come back so you won’t melt.”

Dazed, I didn’t answer. With a shrug from Madison the door was soon slammed, and the air instantly became hot and stuffy. With the afternoon sun streaming in through the windows and filling the car with a sunny haze, I did indeed feel kind of drowsy.

So what else does a distraught detective do?

I took a nap.

“Crazy Christmas presents… nothing I want… the wrong kind…”

I didn’t realize I was sleep talking until I heard the car door open.

“What did you buy?” I demanded, shooting straight up.

“Nothing for you, silly,” Madison grinned as she gently set her bag of goodies down on her seat, returning to help unload the rest of the groceries from the cart into the back.

No sooner had I hopped up to scavenge through the spoils had Madison plopped back down in her seat.

“Hey!” she scolded. “What are you doing?”

“Foam stickers? Really?” What kind of a Christmas present would those make?

“WOAH. What are THESE?!”

“For me?!” I gasped in utter, flabbergasted shock. How did Madison know?! Did our inner artists connect or something? I had always wanted these awesome Christmas stickers and holiday ribbon to decorate Christmas cards with…

“Those aren’t for you,” Madison interrupted. “They’re stuff for something for DWOD.”

Woah, woah, woah, woah. Wait.

What?!

What’s even worse than having your owner buy something for you that you don’t want is your owner buying something you want dearly and then not give it to you.

“You mean to tell me that these awesome Christmas craft supplies aren’t for me?!”

Madison smiled. “No, silly. I haven’t started shopping for Christmas presents yet. It’s not even Thanksgiving.”

“Then why the Christmas craft supplies then, huh?” I countered.

“That’s classified,” was all Madison could get in before I tossed the supplies aside and dove into the bag again. There was some glitter, felt, and…

“NO WAY!”

“These are totally for me, right?!”

“Uh, no,” Madison deflated my balloon of hope. “I’m not even eating those.”

“Then why did you buy them?!”

“I didn’t.”

I should have known. She would rarely ever want to spend her money on something like candy.

“I did,” piped up Hurricane Peach Fuzz (AKA Madison’s little brother) from beside her in the backseat.

“No more questions, missy,” Madison scolded before my open mouth could spit forth any more. “I need to keep things a surprise.”

“You like surprises, don’t you?” Madi’s older sister teased her from the passenger seat.

“Well, I hate surprises,” I grumbled, putting my hand up to the car handle and trying in vain to open the door once Madison’s mom had parked the car in the driveway.

“No you don’t,” Madison laughed, helping me out with the door.

I hopped down and landed on the driveway outside. While Madison and her siblings helped their mom with the groceries, I dragged my feet. So much for detective work, I mused.

Madison won’t even tell me why she bought all these craft supplies. And she probably won’t let me use them, either. How rude!

On second thought… my eyes widened as my brain introduced a glorious idea. Maybe Madison will let me help with her surprises!

“MADI! Wait up!” I called, speed-walking toward the front door.

“Noooo! I’ve been doomed by the door!”

Or so I thought. :P Madi, chuckling (it wasn’t funny -__-) opened the door to my pathetic-looking self.

I offered to carry the bag of goodies the rest of the way to Madison’s room, even though it was more like pulling a heavy cart. ;D I didn’t understand why Madison and a nearby Emelie were laughing at me until Madi snapped this picture. Why am I always the laughing stock? My pants were not from AG, okay? -__-

Check out HOTH Season 2, Part 10 (Finale)
But hope is not lost, friends! Madison won’t tell me what her surprise is until we begin working on it together, but as you’ve probably figured out by those words, she’s letting me help her! ;)

Which is totally exciting both for me and for you! Why do you think Madison purchased Christmas craft supplies for surprises for DWOD? Madi says there are two reasons. Whoever guesses correctly will get a shoutout in the surprise post!

Love,

P.S. Madi here. Forgive the iPhone quality. :P I couldn’t bring the camera in the car because my sister’s car is small and there wasn’t any room to hide the camera when we went inside. So I had to take the pictures on my iPhone 7 that day… Those were interesting to see, I’m sure. ?