Consignment Sale Bounty

Tonight was the semi-annual Kids EveryWear consignment sale at an outlet mall near our home. I eagerly anticipate this event, as it is where I get all of Ivie's (and now Macie's) clothes for school. It's ideal for finding gently-worn (and pretty cute) clothes for ~$2 that are perfect for wearing on the playground and (potentially) ruining.

Ivie was keyed up to see the loot when I got home. I didn't disappoint, pulling out several t-shirts that I knew she'd love - Tigger and Pooh, Mickey and Minnie, and Pooh and Piglet - along with a Sesame Street nightgown featuring ALL of the characters. SCORE! She was thrilled.

The night got even better for her when she went into her room and saw 41 cents in change sitting on her ottoman. Daily tradition has it that Daddy dumps his change there every afternoon when he gets home, and then, before bed, he and Ivie pull her piggy banks (2 of them, one for "brown money" and one for "silver money") down off her dresser and Ivie puts the coins in, one-by-one. But this time, MOMMY brought home some change for Ivie (which never happens, since I always use a credit card!). So even Daddy was surprised to see the coins waiting.

I didn't witness the exchange between the two of them, as I was already in Macie's room putting her to bed, but Dale said afterward that he just told Ivie that Mommy had brought the coins home for her. After getting dressed in her pajamas, she came in to give Macie and me our goodnight kisses. Afterward, as she walked out of the room and started to close the door, she hesitated and came back in. Entirely unprovoked, she walked to my side, smiled, gave me another kiss, and whispered (since Macie was sleeping in my arms), "Thank you for buying me money and clothes, Mommy!".

Part of me thinks that she's starting to learn to express thanks when people do thoughtful things for her. But the rest of me thinks she's practicing up for when the clothes no longer cost $2 per item and the quantity of money she wants is 41 cents, times, say, a thousand.

If you promise not to tell her, I'll let you in on a secret... All she's got to do is keep that adorable smile. I've got no chance.