The Three Beside Me: Safari animals

For Easter, Luke received several cards in the mail from relatives...most of which had a little cash in them as a special treat. While we socked away most of it in his savings account, we decided to let him pick out something special of his own with the $5 bill Ty's Aunt Vicki and Uncle Tom sent. (Thank you, Vicki!!) It has taken awhile to get out together to find something fun, but on Thursday I needed to stop at Joanne's Craft store for some fabric, so I asked Luke if he'd like to pick something out with his Easter money. Of-course he was super excited!!! This was his first time buying something with his own money and it was a BIG deal! We wandered just about every isle of the craft store, looking at all sorts of different items. He did an awesome job at listening and carefully examining the items on the shelves without pulling everything down or making a mess! I was so proud of him and quite surprised, actually! I usually don't allow him to walk around in stores like that...he usually rides in the cart. I never wanted to provide an opportunity for him to throw a fit because he couldn't have something, or to make a huge mess of the isles. But today was different. He knew he was going to be able to take something home and he was a master at deciding precisely what he wanted. He eyed a small plastic elephant that he would play with in the sand box, a couple of new books, and some art supplies, but decided on a safari animal craft kit and a ladybug shaped, plastic sippy cup in the end. He was so proud to hand the cashier his crisp $5 bill and even more proud when she handed him back his very own bag and a receipt to boot! (In some ways, I think he might have been more excited about the receipt than the things he bought! He even bragged to Daddy about the receipt when we called him from the parking lot!)

It was lunchtime when we arrived back home, and per Luke's request, we washed and filled his new, red, ladybug cup with juice to have along with his lunch, and then we set the craft kit on the table to work on over the weekend. This morning was the big day, and once Ellie was down for her morning nap, Ty, Luke and I all sat together at the kitchen table to assemble his safari animals. Here are a few pics....