An overheard conversation

Yesterday the girls and I were in the car and I overheard a conversation that made me laugh... the results of influence, for good or bad! I'll write it in prose so you can really hear them:

Background...

About a year ago, I envisioned a future for my youngest, at the time 3, which included her two passions: health and horses. It took. Spread to her older sister. And has now become their written in stone plan for "what they'll be when they grow up" involving savings plans, college plans, and now this...

Yesterday...

Sophie had successfully won money-bingo (a game I invented with pennies and a letter bingo card where she gets to keep the pennies of the winning row) and raided the coin bin in the car and had a pocket full of loose change. The car interaction with Ella began in a typical Sophie way- a confused mixture of pride and generosity- bragging about her money, but wanting so badly to give some away.

"Mom, do you want a penny?" Sophie asks me imploringly. To which Ella quickly replies, "NO! You need it for the horse! Remember, you're buying one and I'm buying one! You can't give all your money away. Horses are expensive!" Ella, currently studying economics in 2nd grade, rattles off all the things they're going to need for this plan to succeed. "We have to buy horses and a house to live in and a gun."

Sophie, now catching on and not missing a beat, agrees. "Yeah, a gun to shoot the bad animals." "No, the animals we're going to eat" Ella corrects. And then, as she pauses to consider the dollar signs racking up, Ella bursts out, "Nah, we're just going to go to the store to buy our food. Guns and those ticket things you need to get the animals is too expensive." (Remember the experiences we've been having in Wyoming this Fall...) "We don't need the gun" Ella concludes. "Yeah" Sophie concurs.

The car stops. Animated economic discussion of future plans come to a close. My 7 and 4 year old jump out of the van, grab my hands, and start asking for more pumpkins.