"Collecting Money"
As the mother of 3 it seems my wallet is always weighing in on the light side. Every time I turn around I am writing a check for a yearbook, running to Hobby Lobby to buy a t-shirt, or giving the kids change for the ice-cream truck.

Recently I overheard my girls talking about going to Limited Too. My 11 year-old said "I have $28.00". Knowing that it was nowhere near Christmas and her birthday is a few months away $28.00 seemed like a lot of money for an unemployed 11 year-old. As any good eaves dropping mother would do I interrupted and asked, "Where did you get $28.00?" Her response was "I have been collecting it all week."

My curiosity had peaked "From where?" I asked.

"All over," she responded, "I find it in your car, Dad's car, on top of the dryer, on the floor, next to the computer." In one week she had "collected" change totally $28.00. I was impressed. Not that she had been "collecting money" (uh taking money that wasn't hers)but that she was resourceful.

The pennies, nickels and dimes that had been tossed in the drink holder and forgotten as we drove through Burger King, the left over lunch money that fell out of my sons pockets as he threw his pants on the floor, and the pennies that took up too much room in my husband's pocket had added up to a whopping $28.00 and my daughter was the lucky little thief (uh I mean "collector").

As I laid in bed that night, trying to decide if she should be punished for "collecting money" or rewarded for reminding me that nickles and dimes do add up, I wondered to myself: How much interest is she going to charge me when I borrow back my $28.00!