Gotcha Sucker

Yipes, two posts in one day; and two posts in the span of a couple hours. Clearly I have too much time on my hands. I even have extra time today because I don't have to pick up Caroline from school until 4:25. She spends an extra hour in detention at Mad Science on Fridays. Hopefully she's learning something scientific, but she's probably using it as social time with her two friends.

Nah, she's learning something.

I hope so.
Mad Science costs $96 for 7 weeks.

She better be learning some science.

Anyhoo, I do have a point in this second post; I'll get there eventually.
I happen to prefer a longish lead in.

It's my blog and I can bloviate if I want to.
Or post twice in one day.

Heck, that's really not much considering that I read many food blogs in which the bloggers post three times a day. Three posts in which they include details and pictures of their daily eats. Food blogging is a huge commitment and I'd admire those that put their lives and their food consumption out there for weirdos like me to read about. I eat the same things every day and take horrible pictures; I wouldn't be a captivating food blogger.

Heck, I'm hardly a captivating regular blogger.

And finally....to my point.

I'd like to give mad props to the fundraiser monkeys at the school who have learned to successfully play with parent's emotions. It's very easy to refuse to sell gift wrap or buckets of chemical laden cookie dough, but it's darn near impossible to refuse to buy your child's art work.

As I was stuffing the Thursday Folders yesterday, a stack of brightly colored envelopes caught my attention. Inside each envelope was a refrigerator magnet that was a picture each child drew. Evidently they were told to draw a picture of an animal in art class. Then the artwork was given to some company that then turned the artwork into magnets. In the envelope was the magnet and a brochure offering many other items (key chains, oven mitts, coffee cups) all sporting the picture your child drew.
The magnet is $6, which in the grand scheme of school fundraising, is el cheapo. I'll happily buy the magnet. How could I turn away my baby's art? I may lack some of that desireable warm fuzziness, but I'm not THAT cold hearted. Besides, who wouldn't want a magnet of a cat wearing a blue shirt?Although I first thought it was a mouse. Oops.

I'm also purchasing a Christmas ornament, which I'm a total sucker for. It's $15. Could be worse. You know, I'll tell you what is worse: in the brochure the ornament, that is shaped like a Christmas tree, adorned with little silver ornaments, is described as "a decorative ornament." It bugs me to high heaven that they could not write "CHRISTMAS ornament." It's shaped like a Christmas tree and decorated like a Christmas tree, for crying out loud.
It's a CHRISTMAS ornament.

Something like this happened in Kindergarten when we lived in Georgia. We received a notice telling us to come to an "art show." Each child in the school drew a picture, which was going to be artfully and proudly displayed at an art show. And guess what? The pictures were available for purchase.
How convenient.

We couldn't make the art show for some reason, but I felt the pull to buy the art, anyway. Since they were also quick to assure us that the art was also available for purchase online in the event we couldn't attend the art show.

Again, how could I turn away my baby's finest work.

So, for $45 we are now the proud owners of a nicely framed picture of an octopus.

It hangs in Caroline's bathroom and it's really very cute.

So there you have it. I've found my soft spot.
But like I said earlier, I'd MUCH rather spend $21 on a magnet and a CHRISTMAS ornament than $12 on a roll or wrapping paper.