My daughter is obsessed with Snoopy. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to hunt down Starbucks' new viral cup.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Charlotte Mandrier. It has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

On Monday, September 14, I was cleaning up my inbox and deleting emails erstwhile I saw that Starbucks was collaborating pinch the Peanuts marque to waste merchandise inspired by "The Great Pumpkin."

I remembered past twelvemonth erstwhile Starbucks released a mini number of bear cups. My daughter, who is 9, had wanted 1 but hadn't managed to get clasp of one. She was truthful disappointed.

She intelligibly hadn't known astir the Snoopy cups that were going connected sale, aliases I would person heard astir it from her. She is obsessed pinch Peanuts, Snoopy, and "The Great Pumpkin."

She watches the movie each twelvemonth long

As an autistic person, she has a typical liking successful Peanuts, specifically "The Great Pumpkin." She watches it each twelvemonth long, moreover though it is simply a very autumn movie. She listens to the euphony from the film's soundtrack. She was calved successful Santa Rosa, wherever the depository commemorating Charles Schulz — the cartoonist who created the Peanuts comic — is located. When she was little, she went to a campy astatine the depository and learned to crystal skate astatine Snoopy's Home Ice adjacent door. She moreover looks for illustration Linus. She loves everything astir this brand.

As it happened, her day is successful 2 days. So erstwhile I saw that these limited-edition Snoopy cups and different merchandise celebrating the movie would beryllium connected sale, I told my hubby I was going to effort to get 1 for her.

I woke up successful the mediate of the night

I group my siren for Tuesday greeting astatine 3:30 a.m., softly sneaking retired of the location to get astatine our closest Starbucks successful downtown Chevy Chase astatine 4 a.m., erstwhile it opens.

Walking six blocks to get there, I only saw 1 different female connected the street. It turned retired she was going to the aforesaid Starbucks to hold successful line, too.

When I sewage there, nary 1 was successful statement yet, and I felt truthful relieved. I had imagined that location would already beryllium a immense line, pinch group hoping to return each the banal to resell it later.

I suppose that since it was a reasonably commercialized area, alternatively than a residential area, group didn't deliberation to spell location to get the merchandise.

Slowly, others arrived. There were 3 of america waiting for the merchandise, and 3 regulars who were conscionable location to get their coffee.

Although they were meant to unfastened the doors astatine 4 a.m., apparently, location was a staffing issue, and they didn't unfastened until 5 a.m. The regulars said that it wasn't normal for the shop to unfastened late.

The lights were on, but we couldn't spot anyone inside. We tried knocking because we weren't judge if personification was there, and conscionable didn't cognize we were waiting. We were hopeless to get the bully stuff.

There were astir 10 Snoopy cups

While we waited, I utilized my telephone to return photos of the merchandise and count really galore cups were available. I could spot astir 10.

Then personification yet unlocked and opened the doors for us. Once I sewage in, I bought a Snoopy cup, a tote bag, a keychain, a mug, and immoderate pins. It came to astir $200.

One of the regulars who was location sewage swept up successful the hype and sewage a cup, moreover though it wasn't why she'd come.

It was incredibly breathtaking that I had managed to get the stuff. I was truthful excited, imagining my daughter's look successful 2 days erstwhile she opens her day presents.

Sneaking backmost into the location astatine 5:30 a.m. and hiding it each away, I pretended I had conscionable woken up.

As soon arsenic she sees connected YouTube that these cups were for sale, I cognize she'll beryllium disappointed, reasoning that, for illustration past year, she missed out. I'll springiness an Oscar-winning performance, telling her I wish we could person gotten location sooner, and possibly we tin look for Snoopy cups that group are trading online.

And then, successful 2 days, I'll springiness her each the Peanuts presents. I really cannot wait.