The value of a penny

A number of weeks ago I was at Walmart with the Hayden and Bryar (and Rebekah and Eli and Millie if we are being particular) when Hayden spotted something that caused her to gasp with excitement. It was an umbrella stroller. I know, weird right? BUT it was a *Disney PRINCESS* umbrella stroller, and if you know Hayden you know that makes anything gasp worthy. Hayden begged and pleaded, "Mommy can we get that princess stroller?" "Mom are we gunna buy that princess stroller?" "Mom are you gunna get that princess stroller for me?!" I told her no, that I couldn't spend $20 on something we don't need just because it was *Princess*. She was disappointed but took the news fine. Until the next day. Again it was "mom can we get that Princess stroller from Walmart, please?" Again I told her we didn't need it to which she replied "But it's for Toddler Belle!" (Her doll) Finally I told her that if she wanted something like that she was going to have to save up for it and pay for it with her own money. Talk about lighting a fire under someone! She immediately went in search of all the "moneys" she could find (any change is "moneys" to her) on the floor, under the couch, on nightstands and in all my purses and anytime she found some she would excitedly bring it to me and show me that she found moneys to buy her Princess stroller at Walmart. This has been going on EVERY day for weeks and weeks. Finally last week I decided that if she wasn't going to let it go (which she clearly wasn't as it is mentioned about 5 times a day every single day) that I should help her, so I got her a ziplock bag and she put in all the change she had found. I also allowed her to raid the change pocket in the diaper bag (who knew I was carrying around so much weight in change?!?) and added up her total for her. Would you believe that at that point she had $8.84?! She was ecstatic seeing all her moneys together in one place. Since then, with a little help from 2 of daddy's "green moneys" and the constant hunt for any and all change, she is up to $11.90! Obviously she is still a ways off from collecting the the $20 she needs, but it has been fun to see her get excited over every penny she finds. The funniest thing to me is her consistency...being only 2 1/2 you would think she would have moved on to wanting something else but no, 5 times a day its "mom, do I have enough moneys for my princess stroller?" To her, every penny she earns is one step closer to her princess stroller, and I love that she is working so hard to save $ and achieve her goal. Let's just hope she is that dedicated when she is actually old enough to be earning money instead of getting it out of my diaper bag and off Ben's nightstand!