My son. He loves money.

He saved his allowance for weeks before leaving for Mexico. The only thing he purchased, besides a handful of snacks, was a laminated poster of old pesos. He made sure we collected 22 coins while on vacation to bring back for each one of his classmates. For Christmas his most favorite present was a two dollar bill. The bill is a treasured keepsake that is permanently displayed leaning against his ATM (piggy bank) machine. He knows the values of all the coins, understands how many dimes/nickles/quarters make up a dollar, and enjoys counting his fortune. In January he lost a five dollar bill and wanted a "loan" to which of course I declined because um... hello... did he really think I was going to bail him out? What a stupid solution to his personal finances. Knowing that there was no opportunity for a bail out he was fueled and feverishly looked for his money. When he found it, he immediately deposited it into his piggy bank.

Yesterday he turned the table on us. "I can loan you my hard work and you can pay me back!" He replied to my husband when he told Jay that he didn't have the money in his pocket to pay him for his help. My husband decided to strip the playroom to the bare studs, after our flood, so the boys have become their own father-son construction team. "I want to work today, Daddy. I want to knock down another wall!" Jay continued to badger my husband.

Meet Froggy: