Cheap Thrill

After a quick trip to the bank to cash some checks, (Hey Table 1, sorry I was screwing up your checking accounts for two months), Jack and I headed to Target for a few items.

Jack loves shopping at Target. I can't really blame him. After all, I've successfully groomed him into believing that every trip to Target means that he will be leaving the store with a new toy. Jack knows exactly where the toy section is located. More specifically, he knows exactly where the Thomas the Tank Engine section is located.

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the Thomas the Tank Engine line. It offers high-quality products. But those little wooden trains aren't exactly cheap. And since Jack owns practically the entire Sodor roster, it's tough to find a locomotive that isn't already in his collection.

So today I wheeled our cart down a different aisle, (still within the toy section, of course), and came across a pile of polyvinyl critters, (dinosaurs, reptiles, sharks, etc...). Jack spotted this display and quickly picked out an 8" killer whale toy.


Jack loved it! After he "swam" the killer shark past his face several times, I made a break for the check out area. This was my opportunity to get Jack out of the store with the toy of his choice, but more importantly, only have to pay $2.14 for it.

By the time we got home from Target, Jack was still interested in his new acquisition. Awesome. The value of that $2.14 is being stretched even further. Although I don't expect this killer whale to become a family heirloom, it is nice to know that even cheap little toys can capture Jack's interest, and encourage his imagination.