"Daddy, I want a new toy boat!"

This coming midway between Christmas and Scooter's fifth birthday.

"I want one today!"

"No, you can't get one today. Besides, I need to go do the grocery shopping."

"But I can come with you, and I'll bring my money."

This surprised me. Scooter has been keeping a piggy bank for a couple years, and it had an impressive collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and even the occasional quarter. But I hadn't realized he had made the connection between the coins in his bank, and the little piece of plastic he's seen me use to pay for stuff at Target. On the other hand, he is a bright kid, and he often picks up on things long before we realize he understands it.

"No, you can't come along with me," since one of my stops was to order his birthday cake, "but I'll look for a toy boat for you at Target and you can pay me for it when I get home."

"Yaaaa!"

So I made the weekly trek to the local SuperTarget, and after the groceries were in the cart, I headed for the toy section to try to find something for a couple bucks or less. Nothing.

In fact, the only toy boat I could find was a monstrous aircraft carrier set which came with 10 die-cast airplanes. On clearance, $7.50 marked down from $15.00. Not a bad deal even at the original price, and very attractive at the price. On the other hand, there was no way Scooter had anywhere near $7.50 in his piggy bank.

Then, inspirations struck. I called She Who Puts Up With Me and explained that the only toy boat I could find was this huge aircraft carrier for $7.50.

"But Scooter will love it. So, while I check out and get the groceries loaded, why don't you have Scooter count out his money, and suggest little chores he can do to earn the difference. Maybe pick up the TV room for a buck, that kind of thing."

She agreed. But would Scooter go along?

I arrived at home to find Scooter madly at work cleaning up the TV room, and he proudly announced that, once he was done, he would get fifty cents. I showed him the box with the aircraft carrier in it, and explained that, as soon as he could pay me $7.50, he could have it. Scooters eyes got wide, and he raced back to the TV room, picking up toys like a half-sized dervish.

"Only fifty cents?" I asked She Who Puts Up With Me.

"He's got almost seven bucks in his piggy bank," She explained. One thing I've always liked about her is her frugality.

Within half and hour, Scooter had the toy, and fifty-four cents left over to boot.

Sales tax will be a lesson for another day.

Postscript: This morning, Scooter eagerly offered to set the table for breakfast for another fifty cents. How could I decline an offer like that? Especially since it kept him from torturing his brothers while I finished making breakfast.