spending money

My children each got 10 euro about a month ago as a present from their great uncle and aunt. They put them in their wallets and left them there, as any amount of money over about a euro is really more than they know what to do with. But they think it's cool, in the way people think foreign money is cool.

Today, Eldest decided that we were going into town to go to the toy store because he wanted to buy the Expanding Mach 5. * I told him I had no money for toys so he said, I do. I have 10 euro and that's a lot. Well, it is a lot. And it's his money. Youngest was immediately on board of course so off we went to the toy store.

Eh, they needed new shoes anyway. Do little boys always need new shoes?

At the toy store we spent a lot of time discussing what could be bought for 10 euro and what could not (Like, say, the X-Box) and how much change you would get back and so on. It was actually pretty good fun, if hectic.

But then, well, Eldest spotted the Plug In Steering Wheel. It's one of those thingies you plug into the television and has various racing video games in it. ** So he brought it to me with shining eyes full of hope. Damn, I thought, I was going to get him that for his birthday.

But it's like 35 euro, so my birthday gift is safe. Then I flipped it over and realized that it was on sale for 20 euro. So I told Eldest that it was 20 euro so it was too expensive and put it back. Then I headed over to the cool toy cars display talking about the great stuff they had there to buffer his disappointment.

I was alone. One dark head, one light head, were conferring with great intensity over the Steering Wheel.

I went back prepared to pry them away from it. And they announced to me that ten and ten was twenty. I am, as you all know, a little slow on the uptake. So I agreed to this basic math fact and went on talking about toy cars. Whereupon Eldest said, "I have ten and he has ten. That's not too expensive then?".

Right. Once I recovered from this proposal I took Youngest aside to assure myself that he actually was in for this and had not had his arm twisted. + And off we went to buy the Steering Wheel.

We actually had a funny moment in line, as Eldest had a 10 euro bill and Youngest had two fives. So when the two fives came out, Eldest looked at them doubtfully and then started to go put the box back, because they didn't have enough money. So he is up to 10 + 10 is 20, but not quite up to 5+5+10 is 20. Daan knew nothing about it except that he had been told that these two pieces of paper were 10 euro, so he didn't sweat it a bit.

So now, what am I supposed to get him for his birthday?

*The Expanding Mach 5 is a race car which is regular Matchbox sized and then at the push of a button expands to real life size so you can sit in it and drive away. Eldest has now accepted that the fact that he can imagine that car does not mean that it exists. However, he says he is going to make one.

** It also has Space Invaders. Who remembers Space Invaders? Well, they don't call it Space Invaders but it is anyway. Youngest is now totally hooked, he wants to do nothing but play Space Invaders.

+I have an elder sib and I was an elder sib so I know all about this phenomenon.