Money makes the world go 'round

Sam's discovered the joy of money. Last week when we made the extensive list of useless items he wanted to buy it seemed to have taught him at least one thing, that money buys stuff. And to buy all the stuff you want, you've got to have money, lots of money.

He found that with the money he had, he could afford to buy only one item on his list and he selected the airplane model for about $10 but that left a whole lot of tantalizing merchandise out there, just waiting for him to get the money. And about $2 in change left in his "wallet."

At least he hasn't figured out credit cards yet.

But money is a little hard to come by when you're four years old so he decided to do what his friend Parker does to earn money -- collect bottles and cans so he can cash them in for the deposit. I applaud his resourcefulness but now we've got a box in the basement that he's slowly filling with bottles. It's spring around here (finally) and as the snow recedes all the winter trash is exposed and there are lots of bottles and cans out there. Is it bad that I'm sort of relieved that he's got a broken foot so we don't have to spend all day walking the streets looking for bottles and cans? Of course I'll probably be unable to say that in a day or two since his foot seems to be healing well and quickly.

Since he's so interested in money right now I decided to get him the cash register I was eyeing for him last weekend because, well, I guess he's spoiled. He still mixes up coins and doesn't quite get that four quarters = 10 dimes = 20 nickles = 100 pennies = a dollar but he has figured out that paper money = good. And that more money is good. And that Mom and Dad don't just give him money because he wants it.