What About This...

I was not sure what to think about this...

At the beginning of the week two of my boys went to our local Walmart here in Waseca to buy an energy bar before they headed to the weight room at the school. One of my boys had his backpack on his back that carried his basketball, his wallet and a few random things.

After the boys chose the energy bars they wanted to buy, my son took off his backpack (while he was still in the energy bar isle) to get his wallet. My other son reached down and took off his shoe to get his money. He hid his money in the bottom of his shoe 'cause his shorts did not have pockets. They proceeded to the checkout and payed for their things.

They then stopped in the entryway of Walmart to look at the gumballs in the gumball machines. There a man who said he was from The Asset Protection Team at Walmart approached them. He demanded his merchandise back. The kids were confused. The man looked through the back pack and (of course) found nothing except for my son's personal property.

The kids came home and told me this and I was SO SO SO mad!!!!!!! At Walmart!! The very Walmart we give thousands of dollars to every month (well ok not thousands but a little over $1,500) to feed our large family and to keep our home provided with toothpaste, toilet paper, garbage bags, socks, underwear...you get the idea. I have always been fond of Walmart since moving to Waseca.

I called Walmart that night and spoke with whom I think was the night shift assistant manager. He could not help me with the specific issue but he took my name, promised me the store manager would get back to me in the next day or so. We also discussed Walmart's policy of backpacks being brought into in the store. He said customers are allowed to carry backpacks in the store. He said at one time they required customers to drop their backpacks off at customer service but there was trouble with theft. He said that the theft was partly caused by dishonest employees taking things from the customers backpacks. Interesting. So now it is easier to let the customers keep their backpacks with them.

I told my boys next time just keep your backpacks at home when you go to Walmart just to be safe. And please if you do happen to have a backpack do not open it up until you get to the checkout.

The very next day, those same two boys along with a younger brother went to Walmart to look at shorts. One of the boys has a birthday coming up and wanted to make a list of potential birthday gifts.

They left their backpacks at home this time!!!

Once again Asset protection was following them around!!!!!!

I was SO mad!!!!

When I heard this I called up Walmart and asked to talk to the store manager but he left for the day. I then asked for whomever was in charge of Asset Protection. I was very mad. I talked with him. He told me his side of both days events. He said that the video from the first day showed one of the boys holding something, opening up the backpack and both boys reaching in to the backpack (or hands went out of view) and then when their hands came out of the backpack (back in view) he saw nothing in their hands. If I understood right HE NEVER SAW THE BOYS ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING IN THE BACKPACK!!!! He just saw their hands were empty when their hands were back in view. It would be interesting to see the video and what was actually seen and what part were the 'fill-in-the-blank' parts of the video.

Mr Asset Protection said while the boys were paying for their items (yes he saw them actually pay for things!) he replayed the security video again and then made the decision to approach the boys with the intent of getting his merchandise back. He made sure I knew that the boys gave him permission to look in the backpack because (of course) it is illegal to have searched my son's backpack. He said he also apologize to them when he found none of his merchandise in their bag. Later checking with my boys, they said the Asset Protection guy did indeed apologise and the boys gave him permission to look in the bag.

Why was Asset Protection following the kids on the second day? He said one of the associates called him letting him know there were three boys acting suspicious in the clothing isle. He went to check it out and saw it was the same boys from the day before. He said he backed off a little and watched them from farther away. He noticed they did not have their backpacks with them that day. A side note: Funny how it was the same Walmart associate that lingering around the boys both days.


I do admit my boys act like...well...boys. Yes, sometimes weird, suspicious, crazy, goofy and usually have no sense of embarrassment or what is proper public edict. Yes my boys knowing they were being followed by security the second day started dodging around corners to 'shake security' and avoid being followed. They were being total weird clowns. But not with the intention to steal. Just stupidity. (Can I say that about my kids?)

But now I feel like my kids are marked or singled out at Walmart thanks to an over zealous associate, an Asset Protection manager who's adrenalin runs high, and kids who should be acting more mature in public. The two boys in question are 15 and 14. Their younger brother who was with them the second day is 12.

I worked retail for many years before I was married and we employees got reward money for alerting loss prevention about suspicions characters that lead to merchandise recovery. Could that be the Walmart associate's motivation in calling on my kids? Could it be that one of the children in question is black? Or is it solely based on the weird behavior of my kids?

****Sigh****

On the other hand, I did enjoy my talk with the Asset Protection Manager. I bet we talked for maybe 15 minutes. He made no promises that my kids would not be watched in the future. He said it is his job to watch and be suspicious. And of course, if my kids actually did steal something I would want to know. He was a nice guy. I have respect for him and his job. It made me miss my downtown Minneapolis Carson Pierre Scott days of long ago.

What about this...

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Happy Easter!!

to all of my blog readers!!!!!

Before the festivities begin here are a few random pictures I want to share.

The Frye boys in their Easter finery. Very Handsome bunch!



The Frye girls in looking beautiful this morning!




Here are a few pictures of the my Easter sewing I had not taken pictures of until now.

Joel's Easter bug tie. I made it! Pretty neat isn't it? Maybe a little long for Joel but so very cute!



If I had known ties were so easy to make I would have made them over the years for the bigger boys when they were little.



Odell in her finished Easter dress.



Ekie in her Easter outfit.



More Easter post to follow!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Lily Is Very Loved!!

I think we all need that unconditional love that a toddler gives, don't we?

I am never as beautiful as seen through the eyes on my very little ones.

Even my weaknesses and shortcomings do not seem that big as I am cozing up with my tot.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

A Blast From The Past

Well maybe the not so far past.

I am sure I have these on my blog from last year but I found them on my camera sd card so I thought I would share them again!

I believe we were taking a walk around the path at Cannon Lake.





Sweet memories.

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

The Old Woman

You know the old woman
Who lived in a shoe?
And she had so many children
She didn't know what to do?

I think if she lived in
A little shoe-house-
That little old woman was
Surely a mouse!
~Beatrix Potter~

My Boys

L to R: Joel 6, Grant 15, Josh 9, Cyrus 12, Alan 13, Nolan 11



My Girls

L to R Elena 16, Anya 8, Odell 9, Lily 3, Grace 6, Ekie 9, Joyce 14, Naomi 8




Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

A Melancholy Evening

I confess... It was me who overtook Jeff's blog. It was late and I was in a bored but goofy mood. I'm sure nobody who knows Jeff would think he actually posted those posts himself. His humor is much more clever. My husband is a good sport!

Jeff was working late this evening so the night took on a melancholy type of a mood. A bunch of the older kids were across the street watching a Waseca Braves baseball game. I wandered around snapping miscellaneous pictures of the children and cat.

Want to see?

Odell and Grace (I'll get to washing and braiding Grace's hair this weekend)



Anya, Naomi, and Ekie



Alan sitting in my favorite spot.



An Alan close-up



My first born beauty Elena.



I can never take enough of Lily.



The Wild Beast Pippy (real name Ashes).

We have Never

tried this before.

We go big grocery shopping once a month. Our refrigerator is not big enough to hold the dozens and dozens of eggs we use for the month so we crack three or four different meals worth of eggs (maybe 45 eggs per meal) into big freezer bags and freeze them for future tasty scrambled egg or french toast breakfast meals.

Dividing up the eggs was my task for yesterday afternoon. A few of the kids had read something about egg blowing (I do not know the proper term) decorated Easter eggs. We have always boiled our eggs before decorating them. A discussion led to this...





Not even sure we went about it the right way but it was fun!

Moustache Anyone?

Tonight was moustache night at AWANA.

Joel joined in on the fun as well but wanted tiger ears to go along with his moustache.



Anya opted out



Silly baby joined in on the fun



Jeff who shaved very well this morning needed a little whisker touch up



Now, there is my rugged mountain man!

A Little Kitchen Action

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars. Good choice kids. I was in a chocolate mood tonight!

A Few Christmas Pictures

Joel in his new Spiderman sunglasses



A brother's love is so sweet!



Lily the cutie



Sants comes to visit Christmas morning



All our children and Santa