Enterprising Behavior

Thing 2 has an abiding interest in teeny bopper magazines that I've always found rather curious. It is out of character for her because, well, she's not a teeny bopper. She's more of an anti-teeny bopper. She was born jaded, baby, she never seems to have harbored any fantasies about Zach or Zac or Cody or Corbin or . . . . Her interest has always struck me as more anthropological ("Hmm. These teeny boppers have an interesting society, with its own rules, values, mode of dress and mores. I must study their sacred texts so that I may learn something about myself in the process.") Or, at the very least, I perceived her interest as a way of developing insight into busting Thing 1's chops, whose teeny bopper tendencies are slightly more apparent.

In any event, I have dutifully purchased these slick mags of totally fun fax about teeny bopper-dom's fave non-threatening hunkaramas because it makes Thing 2 happy. Only yesterday did I learn the true reason the mags make her soo happy -- Cashy Money.

I was in a book store with The Girls yesterday and, as usual, Thing 2 was poring over the teeny bopper magazines and, as usual, taking forever to make a decision as to what teeny bopper mag she wanted me to purchase. Finally, I demanded that she make a decision because I'm checking out. She announces that she has to see which ones have the best posters because she can get $1.00 each for the "good ones". Single page pix are $.25 and entry forms for stupid "win a kiss from [random non-threatening teeny bopper male]" command $1.00.

Right on, Thing 2!

She's concerned that her business may suffer a blip due to the recent increase of in-school snack from $.75 to $1.00. It was no problem convincing her customers to part with the $.25 change from snack, but if they only get $1.00 from their parents for snack, her customers have to make the hard choice between teeny bopper heaven and snack. And she's even cautious about WHO she sells to -- it has to be someone from her class because there are "snitches" in the other two fourth grade classes.

I tried to negotiate a return of my capital investment in her venture and she cut me down. But if she ever moves onto more, how shall we say, profitable commodities, I am going to insist upon it.