Saving for College (or whatever)

Scott's parents gave Susanna a fun little ceramic piggy bank for Christmas. I think it is a great idea: it will help to give her a sense of money and is an easy way to start saving for the future. And she absolutely loves it. The bank came with some coins that she also loves: she loves to look at them, touch them, and drop them into the piggy bank over and over again.

As those of you who read the "Susanna's word of the Week" sidebar will know, she says something like "oln" for oink. It is one of my favorite sounds she makes. And now she makes it all the time. All the time. She'll say (getting progressively louder and more intent) "oln, oln, oln" while reaching her entire body, starting with her index finger, for the bank on her chest of drawers. If we suggest she do something else, such as, say, get a diaper change, she goes beserk. She flails her arms and legs then, after making herself as skinny as possible so that she'll slip out of our hands, drops her forehead onto the floor crying. And then she'll get up and look at you with the face of one who has lost her most beloved and say sadly "oln, oln, oln." But it wasn't until I noticed how much she loves to kiss her bank that I began to wonder if I should get worried about her mercinary tendencies.

Once we get her successfully transferred to a new activity, she is happy as a clam again. So I think as the novelty wears off so will the passion, and in the end we all love this fun and practical gift.