The Snoopy Car

Yesterday I was with the kids at Target and we were walking through the dog food isle (our biggest joy in shopping because Frankie and Joey both love to look at the doggy faces on the boxes and bags and squeeze the chew toys), when Joey found and picked up a toy car that was left in the wrong section of the store.  It was a little Hot Wheels car - a new obsession of Joey's - and he felt he had to have it.

We have never had any problems while shopping of Joey wanting something and begging for it, or making a big scene about not buying something. His tantrums have never been related to wanting a toy and not being able to get it.  However, he was fixated on this car - a little Snoopy and the Peanuts 'Winter Wonderland' car with red skis painted on top.  He asked me if we could get it, and I told him no and that we had plenty of cars at home and even some Hot Wheels, and he should be thankful for everything that he has.  "But," I told him, "You can hold it the whole time we shop!"  As he held the car, his intense love for it grew and he began incessantly badgering me to buy it for him.
"I'll make you a deal." I told him. "We will go take the car to a special box that will tell us the price.  If the car costs one dollar or less, we can buy it. If it costs more than a dollar, we won't buy it."
"Where's the box?"
"We'll find it along our shopping trip. We're not going to go now. You just hold onto it until we get there."
"Where's the box?"
"If you ask me where the box is one more time, you can't hold the car anymore."
*wiggling around, dying to ask me when we're going to the box*
I almost passed the red 'scan item' box, but was reminded by the look in Joey's eye that we needed to do this, and SOON!
"Ah, here's the box." I said. "Hand me the car and let's check together."
--------$5.50--------
"The car costs $5.50. That's much more than $1.00. Daddy and I didn't plan to spend money buying a car this day, especially one that costs so much of the money daddy earns at Nvidia. I'm sorry that it was more than $1.00. We can't buy the car today."
Joey, thoughtful, looks up at me hopefully and says, "But, mommy! Counting to five is SUPER fast. It's not hard. It's really really easy. Watch! I'll show you. 1,2,3,4,5. There! Five! Now we have five!"
"Counting and having money are two different things. I know you can count to five quickly, but that's not what money is."
"But, it is fast."
"Yes, Joey. It is fast."
"Why can't you spend your money on this car? It's only five!"
"When we spend daddy's money, mommy tries to be careful about what we spend it on. We want to spend it on things that will benefit our whole family, not just one person - things like food, medicine, our new van, and gas.  Things that are only for one of us are for special occasions like birthdays. Maybe you can ask for this vehicle for your birthday! That would be special."
"Ya. But, I just want to have it right now."
"I know, buddy."
"I can just hold it until we leave."
"That sounds good."

When we got to the till, Joey put the car on the conveyor belt with a mischievous look in his eye.
He motioned for me to move in closer and put his face close to mine.
"Mommy, don't tell the woman that the car is on the conveyor belt. Don't tell her. Just leave it there, okay?"
"I can leave it for now, but we're going to have to take it off and tell her that we're not going to be buying it when it's our turn."
"No. No, mommy. Mommy. Just don't tell her and then she'll get it for us! She won't know!"
"Joey," (laughing) "That's not how it works! She scans our items right here (as I show him a bar code of one of the things we're buying) and it comes up with a price on her computer. Then, mommy pays for it all at the end."
"Ya, but if you don't tell her, maybe she'll just put it in the bag! I think she will! She's going to do it! OHhhh! I think she's going to doooo it!!!!"
"Joey, it's not going to work! It doesn't work like that."
"Mommy. Mommy. Just leave it, okay? Just leave it on there. She'll get it for us. She won't even see it! I don't think she's even going to see it! Ohhhh! She doesn't see it!!!"
When it was our turn, I told the lady that we're not going to be purchasing that car and Joey put his hands on his head, "Ahh! Mommy! She wouldn't have seen it. You shouldn't have said anything."

It was soooo funny.

We decided to put it on his birthday wishlist when we got home.