Make A Wish

Everyone at Disney has the same wish - to have a magical experience. The cast members order us to do so every where we turn. They cushion it in a smile while they are taking your money for a snack, souvenir, ticket, etc. It is quite magical how quickly your money, time, patience and energy disappear at Disney. Florida in April is hot. Disney in April is the 7th circle of hell. You are traipsing around a park with kids in tow. Your feet hurt. Your back hurts. You are sunburned. You are crabby. You are hot, tired, smelly and broke. Maybe that's just me. Anyway, I know no place is perfect but Disney does a pretty good job controlling crowds and chaos. They are remarkably organized and efficient. Today, Sara and I were waiting in line to meet Mary Poppins. An adorable little girl, her mother and grandmother approached us with a cast member in tow. We were next in line and the cast member told us the little girl is a Disney guest courtesy of the Make A Wish Foundation. Would we mind letting her go ahead of us in line? Of course not! We started chatting with the mother and grandmother. I was shocked when they told us that throughout their stay, most people have actually refused to let the little girl go to the head of the lines!!! How do perfectly healthy people refuse to let a sick little girl go to the head of the line? Do they really think she should stand in the hot sun? As much as I hate waiting in line anywhere, I think I can spare 2-3 minutes for an adorable and terminally ill little girl. Typical Sara, she had a ton of questions for the little girl. Not nosy ones. Polite, friendly ones. How old is she? What grade is she in? Where do they live? What was her favorite ride? Favorite princess? Then Sara had what she and I thought was a brilliant and sweet idea. She told the little girl they should just come around the park with us and that way she could always go ahead of us. I love how that girl's mind works sometimes. Then she asked the mother if it was ok to hug her new friend. I love that she was concerned about germs but really wanted to give her new friend a hug.So, here is my wish for the next few days- if you are in line anywhere at Disney and you see a kid wearing a Make A Wish button, if you have a decent bone in your body, please let a sick child go to the head of the line. Learn more about this wonderful foundation here - http://www.wish.org/

Sara's "spending" money

Sara is a capitalist through and through. She doesn't need some fancy overpriced MBA to teach her about business and money. Her business model is very simple and clear - why buy it if you can get someone else to buy it for you? She has been hoarding her hard earned $26 for almost a year. By hard earned I mean that my dad worked hard for all that loose change she conned from him.

At the mall today, she wanted to stop in the Disney store "just to look". Heads up, 7 year olds are not good window shoppers. She zeroed in on "Tangled" doll and tried to convince me her life would never be complete and fulfilled without it. I explained to her that my wallet was complete and fulfilled and staying that way. So, we are at a cross roads. We are both very stubborn and frugal. So, which one of us was going to cough up the $12.50 plus tax for this must-have item? As my freeloading 2 year old blissfully played with stuffed animals, Sara started putting the wheels in motion for a transaction. Her solution? I would loan her the money and she would pay me back as soon as we got home. As someone who still has my First Communion money in a bank account, I would hold her to this. She proudly marched out of the mall with her purchase. As soon as we got home, she retrieved her piggy bank. She asked me for the receipt and quickly but methodically counted out the exact amount she owed. She did haggle about the tax. No, I didn't charge her interest. Thought about it, though.