Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The Hippie and the Surprise Box

Since school is almost out for my kids again, I thought I'd share a fun story from last year.

The Hippie and the Scribe's last day of school was yesterday--gotta love year-round school.  Anyway, to celebrate that school finally ended IN JULY, last week the entire school had a fair.  The Scribe promptly told me she'd need some trinkets and things to sell.  The Hippie, however, never said a thing.  And when last night came, I asked if she'd participated too.
    "Yeah.  The whole school had a fair.  We saved tickets all year to spend them.  I didn't want to bother you or ask for things to sell, so I thought of something else. . . ."
    "Really?"
    "Yeah.  I grabbed things people left around the house.  I found some really great stuff and some bad things too.  You know how you tell us not to leave toys on the ground and if we do, you'll throw them away?"
    I nodded and bit my fist because it was hard not laughing.  That threat had been a bluff.  Why?  Because I'm a hoarder.  Yet she'd followed through for me.  The Hippie rocks!
    "But when the other grades started coming through my class's sale, none of the kids wanted to buy used toys."  She looked at me with her icy blue eyes.  "I wasn't selling a thing."
    "That's sad.  I'm sorry.  You should have asked for my help."
    "No way.  I was doing things myself.  Plus, I wouldn't let something like that get me down."  She grinned.  "I knew there was a way to get around it.  My teacher had a cardboard box in the corner of the room.  I asked if I could use it and she just smiled and nodded, watching me the whole time.  "I decorated the box and wrote on the side: Surprise Box. Take a chance for five tickets....  Then I put all my junk inside."
    That was a bit witty--impressive actually.  "Five tickets . . . was that a lot?"
    "Yeah, but kids actually paid!  My desk was the most popular place to be."
    "Did the kids like what they got?"
    "Some did.  Some didn't.  But they were taking a chance on a surprise.  That was their own fault."
    I started laughing then.  I know I shouldn't have, but she took me off guard!
    "One kid got a baby toy and I told him right away, 'You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.'"
    Wow, so he got a bargain AND some advice that day.
    "You're ingenious.  You know that?" I said.
    "You kidding?  I don't even know what ingenious means."
    "It means you're pretty dang smart."
    "Yeah.  I've learned a lot this year." The Hippie curled up next to me on the couch.  "Second grade was great.  I started out as a girlie girl and ended up as a tomboy.  I'm so glad I think about girl AND boy things now.  Girlie girls just think about their hair all the time."
    "There's more to life than hair?"
    "Oh yeah.  There's cool things like surprise boxes!"
    "You are hilarious."
    "And ignious."
    "Ingenious."
    "Whatever."  She suddenly jumped up and ran toward the stairs. "Scribe, come here," she yelled to her older sister.  "I have an idea for how we can make some money this summer.  It's gonna be epic."
    "As long as it isn't a fundraiser, then I'm in," the Scribe replied.  "Fundraisers never turn out well when I hold them for myself."
    Heaven help me when those two grow up!  I really wonder what the future holds for a couple of girls who are so hysterical and resourceful.  

28 comments:

  1. Dear Elisa, what I hope the future holds for them is a bushel and a heap of contentment and joy and delight in themselves and others. Peace.

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  2. You got one smart little cookie there. Like her mother I suppose. :)

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  3. LMAO oh that is a great way to sell, very smart idea playing off the surprise aspect. Sure they are going to go far.

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  4. That is great! Those two are definitely thinkers. I love how they seem to always spot the possibilities in any situation.

    Have a happy Fourth of July!

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  5. The Hippie's on-the-spot problem solving is priceless. I know they will move on to become both caring and resourceful young women, both of them.

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  6. Honey... You're in trouble.

    I speak from experience as I have evil geniuses of my own as well.

    :)

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  7. Ah, my ignious pretend granddaughters. Those girls are going to be more and more fun every day.

    Love,
    Janie

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  8. Lol!!! You know...I had that exact idea for some future giveaways!

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  9. Go Hippie! And I didn't realize that second grade girlie-girls only thought about their hair. I guess I figured that started for girlie-girls at puberty - before that it's just dresses and avoiding dirt and sports :)

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  10. Yes, Hippie scored with that one. This may be a less-than-restful summer for you as you are provided non-stop laughter from those creative kiddos of your Elisa.

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  11. You should 'invest' in those girls, they're going to go far :)

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  12. I think The Hippie was right when she said she was "ignious"! I looked up "igneous"
    --the correct spelling--& the definition was "characteristic of fire: solidified from a molten state."

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  13. If I were you, I'd lock up anything you don't want sold on the street out of a box.

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  14. That Hippie thought outside the box by putting things inside the box. LOVE IT!

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  15. Good for her! I love it that she made something out of things forgotten.

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  16. Your kids are fantastic. Hippie sounds like she's going to go a long way. You might have a little entrepreneur on your hands ;)

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  17. OH my gosh are you kidding me? Talk about thinking outside the ehhh...box. Seriously impressed.

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  18. At least they'll be financially independent! :) I love those kids! They spend a lot of time thinking!

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  19. Absolutely awesome! People can never resist surprise boxes or finding out what is behind door #2. What a smart, independent girl you have! Fantastic story.
    ~Jess

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  20. I say this all the time, I so wish you all lived around the corner from us. Our girls would have a blast with eachother!

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  21. Girl you better watch out! Those two will probably have all your stuff in a surprise box selling things for a dollar a pop if I know them lol
    They are so smart and precious. What a wonderful mom they must have. :)

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  22. I have a feeling you won't have to worry about them...much. LOL

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  23. Yes, that box was pretty "igneous!" ;)

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  24. Your daughter learned that people love a mystery.

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  25. Dear Elisa, I remember this from last year, I thought then and I think now that you had the right word, the hippie really is "ingenious." And also, witty! Peace.

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  26. Love this! Your kids are so delightful!lol! Thx, I needed a laugh!

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