Homeschooling at Toys R Us

This year everyone got their three dollar gift card from Geoffery so off we went to Toys R Us to spend them. I figured the girls would be easy enough, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Jory.

I put the girls in the basket and as we walked down a main aisle, I saw Matchbox cars in the middle of the aisle. Yep, they are only ninety-nine cents.

"Jory, do you see any cars or trucks you like? You can get six of them," I informed my six-year-old son subtly reminding him that he can spend his years in life at Toys R Us.

He looked around the display for a moment. "No, I don't want a car."

Please God, don't let this be a trip like last time when I left after over an hour and a half in the store not sure where to strangle myself or Jory. "Do you know what you want?"

"A firetruck," he said casually as he turned onto another aisle.

"Jory, you cannot buy a firetruck for only six dollars, unless you buy a small one." I wasn't going to let him get to me. He wasn't going to drive me mad this time. I'd focus on the girls first.

We turned onto the dollar aisle. I let Layla look in three dollar section, she wasn't interested in the balls or the cars. I hoped she wouldn't be difficult. As she browsed, I explained to Rowan there was no four dollar section, so she could get something in the three dollar section and one thing from the dollar section. My middle daughter looked at all her options quickly and decided on the miniature doll who came with a wardrobe. Upon seeing her pick out the doll, the baby decided she wanted that too. SCORE! My girls rocked my world with their easiness. I encouraged Rowan to get some Princess crayons for a dollar and she was very agreeable to this. Girls rock!

With the girls finished shopping, we left the bargain aisle and headed for the boys' section. My eldest searched the aisle for a firetruck.

"Jory, you already have a firetruck at home. Do you really need another one?" I asked. I wasn't going to force him to buy something he didn't want. It was his six dollars to spend as he pleased, but I was totally up to using logic and persuassion to help him chose the right toy.

"That's a big one. I want a little one," he said, as he honed in one small truck.

"How much is that one?"

"Nine. Nine dollars."

"Can you afford that?"

"No."

"Keep looking then." SCORE! This was going better than last year. Look what a year of growing and learning could do. His searching down the over his budget aisle was taking a bit long. We still had other stops to make and my pizza was getting cold in the car. "Do you like these planes?" I inquired, seeing planes and tanks in his price range. And of course, he chooses the plane not in my hand that's over his budget. "How much is that plane?"

"Eight dollars."

"Okay then. Do you like this one or this one? If you get this green one, you can get a little car too? So do you want to buy two things with your money or one?"

"Can I look back where the girls got their stuff from?"

"Of course."

So back we went. While Jory looked at the items in the five dollar price range and I explained the various combos he could get, Rowan discovered the recorder. Much to my dismay it was the same price as the doll.

"Mommy, I want this. So does the baby."

"Are you sure you don't want the doll?"

Rowan shook her head, grabbed the recorders, and handed one to her sister.

"Mommy, can we go back to the other aisle with the planes?"

Back we went to the boys' side as Layla and Rowan sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot into their microphones. If they actually purchased those things, I was going to go crazy, I thought. Jory perused his options again and finally decided to purchase the green plane and a blue car.

Less than an hour and we were actually getting ready to leave the store. Score! But how do I live through the nightmare that these microphones will become? As we passed the bargain aisle, Rowan requested we go back down that particular aisle. God, who always has my back, showed up and right before my eyes my daughter said she didn't want the recorder, she wanted her doll back. Thank you Jesus! The baby followed suit. SCOOOOOORRRRRREEEEEE!!!!

I quickly swapped out the recorders for the dolls and swiftly moved away from the aisle. I decided to take a quick look at the Karoke cds they had. Oooh, the temptation. Country women with songs I knew. Current country hits with songs I knew. And then, a country cd that had songs from Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Darius "Hootie" Rucker, Sugarland, and Zac Brown Band, the group that got me into country music to begin with. I carried the cds up to the register and pondered them as she totaled the kids' purchases. But I'm trying to get on the Dave Ramsey plan to become debt free and I won't become debt free buying karoke cds I don't need. So we left them inside the store.

The kids and I walked outside as I tried to encourage them not to open their toys yet. Too late Mommy, Jory's fingers are fast.

A learing math day for everyone.