Alohi spending $ & Glowing Egg Hunt

A while back I blogged about how we taught Alohi that Work equals Money, well she finally saved enough money to make her first big purchase.  When she first started "working" (cleaning the table, help pick up brothers toys, cleaning the toilet & a few other things she randomly helps out with around the house) we asked her what she wanted to spend her hard earned money on.  Well if you know anything about Alohi, a blue icee is something she always wants! And since we have moved to Scottsbluff, there is no 7-11 (I miss that place) where you can run in to get a cheap coffee, soda or icee.  There are gas stations here with the same stuff, but it isn't the same when you are spoiled with 7-11 prices or taste. So we are left with target icee (which cost about $1.34 including tax for a small; compared to $0.89 at 7-11) and when she asks to get an icee, she is normally met with the response "it's not in the budget." Thankfully she is getting used to this and we continue on with our trip to target.

So when we asked her what she wanted to spend her money on, she said she was going to save for a blue icee.  Rylan and I talked about how many coins she needed to save before we would let her go buy herself an icee, which turned about to be 14 coins (we haven't taught her the value of money yet, but she does know that you need to work to get money).  After an fun night with some friends and a glow in the dark egg hunt (read the bottom to hear more), she finally had enough money to get a blue icee!

Here Alohi is getting out her money and lining it up to count it!

Here she is counting her coins and making sure she has all of them out!

 Look at her happy face! She put all her coins into her purse/diaper bag and is ready for the store!

I know I told you that she always wants an icee from Target, but this last weekend we needed to make a trip to Cheyenne to return a broken thing from SAMs, so she got to make her blue icee purchase from there. This also meant more icee for her $$.  Here she is leading the way to the counter to make her purchase.

Here she is at the counter. I did make her order for herself and get all her money out. She put it on the counter, where I did a quick change of the actual amount of the icee.

And here she is. She said "I'm so excited!" I think she drank half of it by herself!

I'm not sure what she will be working for next, but I do know that she thinks scrubbing toilets is fun and makes her money.  So my working girl will continue to learn more about making and spending money.  I'm looking forward to teach her about giving, which I think we will do this week.

Glow in the dark Egg Hunt

In the above picture, we have Alohi with Bailey, Bryliegh (spelling?? I think), Brody, and (I always forget the other name because there are 5 of them (Brady not pictured) and their names all start with B). We had their family over with a few other people to try new recipes. It was a fun night with many good eats, but I think the best part of the night for the kids was the Glow in the dark Egg hunt.  I had seen on interest the idea and had originally planned to do it with Alohi when her grandma & grandpa were here, but changed my mind when I knew more kids could be involved.

So thursday night I went to target to pick up eggs, glow sticks, baskets and candy to have for the kids. Thankfully the eggs, glow sticks and baskets were all in the dollar spot and a mixed bag of candy was on sale.  Rylan and I filled the eggs with the goodies, along with a dollar in one egg and decided that each kid could get 5 eggs (I am on a budget, but wish I could have had them hunt more eggs).  At the end of the hunt, they would all get 5 of the same colored egg; that way they would all get the same thing and no one would feel like they got left out.

We put the glow sticks in the eggs before the egg hunt (which the adults had fun doing) and we sent the kids to continue playing in the basement, so they couldn't see the surprise. Unfortunately Alohi had seen a test egg the night before and told them what they were going to do.  They came up the stair where they each got a basket and was told what was happening.  The men went out to hide the eggs.  We turned them loose outside and it took them about 10-15 minutes to each find 5 eggs.  The two littles girls both some how managed to fall on stairs and scrap their legs.

When they all piled in the house to check out what they got and to trade eggs, they screamed "can we hunt them again?!?!" So the guys re-hid the eggs in the basement this time.  After it was all said and done, the kids were so excited, seeing the treats they got inside & making glow stick bracelets and necklaces!  I am very glad we got to the hunt with them!  Best of all, we had a great time with our new friends!!

Now Alohi, doesn't know it.... but we do still have planned another glow in the dark egg hunt while grandma and grandpa are here!

That evening we did have three other little guys, that were too young to participate in the egg hunt. Instead, I had found bumbo bee baskets for them and had small eggs filled with cheerios, goldfish and yogurt melts.  I completely forgot to take a picture of the little guys playing with their baskets and eating their treat (probably because I had already put Po'okela down for the night). But here is Po'okela with his basket and playing with the eggs.