I went into Wal-Mart this weekend for $35 worth of oil.

I walked out with $50 worth of children’s books instead.

I had the best intentions when I entered the store. Things went awry when I got to the automotive section and discovered no Valvoline 5W-20 was in stock. My plan was to leave and pick up the oil the next morning when AutoZone opened.

The thing about Streator Wal-Mart is that the automotive section is next to the clearance section. On my way out of the store, I walked by a display of Dr. Seuss books on sale for half price.

I’ve been meaning to build a complete Dr. Seuss collection for our home library. Our plan for a future nursery is Dr. Seuss-themed nursery, after all. (Fun and gender-neutral … it’s win-win!) Stumbling upon a half-price offer of several fundamental Dr. Seuss books — like “The Cat in the Hat,” “Hop on Pop,” and “Green Eggs and Ham” — was too good to pass up.

Now we’ve got a 10-book head start on our Dr. Seuss collection.

(And AutoZone had my Valvoline 5W-20 in stock.)