March 29, 2005 - Tuesday
Not too long after the incident buying Rip's birthday present, the boys started saving money in their respective piggy banks. We didn't really feel like and allowance would make much rational sense to them yet, and we didn't really want to try payment directly to chores around the house, so their mother came up with the idea that they would be responsible for returnable bottle and cans. They set up a bag in the back hall and bring empties to it, then bring them to the store to the crushing machine (that's something they've always liked doing) and get the money. As of today, Harry had more than $5 and Jeremy had saved pretty close to that.

Since I bought the boys their newest Bionicles, and thus since they've been asking for more, I've been talking with them about using their own money to buy whatever toys they wanted. 'Do you have enough money in your piggy bank to boy another Bionicle?' '$4 is enough for another one of those little Matoran guys.' But lately, Harry seems to have moved on from wanting more Bionicles. His new obsession is Star Wars having seen the original movie for the time a couple of weeks ago and he wants the Lego Millennium Falcon kit. Unfortunately, it's about $90 and it will be a long time before he saves that much from the bottles and cars.

But today all that changed. We were in the pharmacy on an errand and went through the toy aisle. The pharmacy has pretty inexpensive, and cheap, toys and I thought there might be one of those simple plastic, gravity run tracks for hot wheels cars. That's something else, something more reasonable, that Harry has asked for lately. The pharmacy didn't have race tracks, but there were cars and trucks, including a handful of semis for just $2.99.
"Can we get a truck?" Harry asked.
"Well, you both do have enough in your piggy bank, but don't you already have a lot of trucks."
"I want to buy it."
"I want to buy one, too," added Jeremy.
"Are you sure that's want you want?"
"Yeah," they both answered.
"Then we should go home and get your money."
"OK" let's go get it," said Harry.

I actually tried a little to talk them out of it. They do have a lot of cars, although Harry is right about not having that many trucks, and these little trucks just seemed like something they will play with for a couple of days and then never again. But at the same time I could see that the die had been cast. Harry and, by the pressure of me-too, Jeremy had gotten it locked into their heads that they could buy something and these trucks were there in front of them and they were going to be the things. Ultimately there was no logic involved, it was a classic impulse purchase and I wasn't going to spoil their special moment. After all, I've told them many times that it's their money to buy what they choose. So, we drove home, got their piggy banks, and went back to the pharmacy to make their purchases. Then we sat in the toy aisle counting out their pennies, nickels, and dimes, before heading to the counter where they each pulled their pile of coins out of their respective pockets. It was really quite charming, and for a parent, quite exciting. Fortunately there was no line.



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