Mom! Don't You Want a Door?!

This evening after supper our door bell rang.  Gary was way out back taking Jackson on a stroll around the yard.  I was just finishing up in the kitchen, and Aaron was with me - talking, as usual.  Aaron made a bee line for the front door as I hustled along behind him, telling him to not open the door; to let me get it; and to HUSH!  I glanced out the window and saw a cute young lady standing there with her hand full of door hangers.  Oh no!  A solicitor.  As if that isn't bad enough, a solicitor showing up while Aaron is home. 

You see, I've had my fair share of experiences with Aaron and salesmen who show up at our front door.  I shooed him away, but I had no sooner opened the door and said hello than I heard Aaron coming up behind me.  This is a familiar routine when a salesman comes to our door.  Aaron and I are about the same height, so as I move to the right in order to block his view he moves to the left.  Then as I move to the left he scoots to the right.  It's as if we have a choreographed greeting going on because I'm trying to smile and say hello as normally as possible, all the while knowing that Aaron is bobbing his head around either my right or left shoulder.  He's dying to know who is at the door and what do they want and what are they selling and will Mom buy something?  After all, it just might be cookies or popcorn!! 

This soft spoken young lady was telling me about Anderson windows and siding and doors.  By now Aaron was standing on the stairs right inside our front door.  This gave him the advantage of being able to see over and beyond me no matter which way I moved.  But the disadvantage was that he was now farther away from the action, which always makes him worry that he'll miss something important.  Therefore, he asks, "Mom?!  What does she want?"  I motion for him to hush even as I'm trying to listen to what she is saying.  She tries to continue her sales talk even as she's trying to figure Aaron out.  He can be very distracting, you know. 

I was relieved to be able to tell her that we were currently in the process of re-siding our house, and that our windows are fairly new.  That left the subject of doors, but I had the out of mentioning the siding expense that would prevent us from doing another big project.  Then Aaron blurted, "Mom!  Don't you want a door?!"  More motioning from me, which Aaron completely ignored, and another smile from this puzzled young lady.  She mentioned that each door was $200 off, and so I thanked her as I made a move to end the conversation.  But Aaron wasn't through.  He had seen, as he stood on the stairs and looked over my head, that this sales lady held some fliers and had even already hung one on our door handle.  Not to be deterred, Aaron now yelled, "MOM?!  DON'T YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT PAPER??!!"  

For crying out loud, Aaron, why don't you just ask if the Anderson company will hire YOU to pass out the fliers?  Of course, I was compelled to take the advertisement.  The nice young lady smiled broadly and Aaron clomped off to the kitchen, satisfied that Mom had taken the flier and now all was well. 

Like I said, Aaron delights in these salesman visits.  Because of him, I have bought popcorn and cookies and coupon books and some cleaning sprays.  There he stands behind me, head bobbing over each of my shoulders as he tries to see what wonderful item is being pitched.  "Mom!  Get some popcorn!"   "Mom!  Don't you want some cookies?"  "Mom!  Are you getting a coupon book?!"

 I remember the summer afternoon that the cleaning spray guy came to the door.  I thought that maybe, just perhaps, Aaron hadn't heard the doorbell.  No such luck, I realized, as I heard him thumping down the stairs behind me.  Soon his head was bouncing from side to side as we did our little dance. He was enthralled as he saw the salesman spray our storm door window and wipe it clean with his handy cloth.  Wow!  This was even better than popcorn and cookies!  I put my foot down when the man turned to head toward our van, spray bottle ready in order to show me how amazingly he could clean the spots on the paint.  I told him no, even as Aaron blurted out, "Mom!  Let him spray our van!!"  I gave Aaron a look that would have immobilized any other person............but not Aaron, of course.  The salesman began to direct his pitch to Aaron, and our bobbing dance went up a notch.  I was so relieved to finally close our door.......the one with the little clean circle on the dusty glass..............and talk to Aaron's back as he thumped back up the stairs about NOT interrupting when someone came to the door.

The young college student selling books was also a favorite of Aaron's.  He was very interested in all the books that she quickly told me about before I could even interject a no.  She asked if she could come in and show us some of the books, and as I did finally say no, Aaron interrupted.  "Mom!  Let her show us the books!"  I wanted to throttle Aaron as I stood there with a forced smile on my face.............a smile that I hoped was hiding my true intentions toward my son at that moment.  "Mom!  Don't you want some books?"  Somehow I got out of that predicament, even though Aaron talked for days about how I wouldn't let that nice girl show us some books. 

Don't even ask me how much fun it is when Aaron opens the living room doors while I'm distracted and lets Jackson out.  Dealing with a 175 pound Great Dane PLUS a very loud son who wants to buy whatever is being sold is just more of a good time than I deserve.  Trust me.  It is.

I've about decided to put up a No Soliciting sign.  Why doesn't someone come to the door selling one of those?  Then I would let Aaron buy one..........maybe even two!  That would make us both very happy!