June 10. Parkas

As a child, I had a navy parka with blaze orange lining. It was a thrice hand-me-down from cousins and went to my brother after me and then to younger cousins. It was followed by another navy and then an army green version. Fake fur trim around the hood. Waterproof, warm, sturdy metal zipper.

Their tags were from K-Mart and Sears.

They were not high-dollar items. They were sensible, basic, functional.

I cannot walk into a Target or JC Penneys and get a sensible, basic, functional kids' parka that will last through 7 kids. They are cuter...but not as warm or sturdy and almost every one of them has a plastic bustable zipper and a removable (easily lost) hood.

I can find high-end versions of this through online catalogs, but even these are done after two kids. And our winters aren't even so cold anymore.

This frustrates me beyond belief.