The road to financial independence begins with the tooth fairy

Henry's Problem: I love Lego's so much that it hurts inside to look at the Lego catalogue.

Solution: Ask Mommy for, "this, this, this, this, this, and oh, that one, too"

Problem: Mommy says, "We cannot buy all the Lego's that you wish for. They're expensive."
Solution: Ask Mom for just my top three wishes.

Problem: Mom says my birthday is coming up... in 21 whole days!

Solution: Must find out how money much is in that silly old bear!

So, for days, Henry and I have been planning to take all of his money to Target. Therein lies the holy grail... The Lego aisle.

We shaky, shaky, shaky all the coins out.


joy, yes?

Embarrassing scenes of me at the checkout with 10 lbs of coin keep me awake at night.
I suggest that we stop by the bank on the way.
Henry: "Are we setting up a bank account? 'Cause I don't wanna have them take care of my money." (the young boy has a point, there.)
Our bank has this nifty little self-serve coin-counting thingy. It was an absolute leap of faith for Henry to pour all of his life's savings into the deep, unknown abyss.

Pressing on with faith, Little scrapes it all away.
Finally, the machine gives us a tiny little piece of proof. A receipt.
$33.86 worth of proof.








Fast-forward.

I will spare you of the play-by-play inside Target. Just know that it involves 30 minutes of comparing, contrasting, cost-analysis, combining, questioning, obsessing, and many other levels of critical thinking that can occur inside a young, Jedi warrior's mind.
It was intense, but I loved witnessing every minute of it. It's a very hard lesson to learn that one does not have enough money to buy at least three-fourths of the Lego selection.


Luckily at this age, quantity rules over quality.
Look at this toothless, happy face.
Just enough to buy all four sets. Some good guys, and some bad guys.
Actually, Little had enough for just 3 sets. I chipped in for the 4th. Earnest children who save their money will always compel me to try to make up the difference.

Now for the show. Hillary and I helped with the assembly. Henry makes all the "guys," but he can just about put the rest together by himself.

Ownership is a beautiful thing.

Henry's comment as we drove home.

"I need to loosed more teeth."
Good job, little buddy. I'm proud of you!