Can't Touch This

She got an ipod Touch.

::headexplosion:: (yeah, I totally stole that from Diana. I can't come up with anything better!)

Violet saved her Birthday money and had enough to get an ipod Touch.

Unbelievable.

She's eight.

It took me four years to get an iphone- between the cost and being stuck with contracts -- and in one month she had enough money to get an ipod Touch.

I also planted the idea in her sweet little brain. And since she saved the money for it, how exactly do you say, "No,"?

She wanted a DSI and when I thought about it, it just didn't make sense. Every game costs about $12 -- how was that going to work? Once a month she might get a game?  I have a friend who's daughter is a year older than Violet and she has an ipod Touch. So it got to me thinking. . . And I thought, "Surely it will take her months and months to save the money.

Not so much.

So, Saturday night found us at the Apple store buying her ipod Touch. She was two dollars shy of what she needed. And giddy with the excitement. I was having massive heart palpitations at the thought of my eight year old daughter owning a $229 electronic device. When I was eight I didn't own a calculator. She owns a mini jukebox-hand held gaming -digital camera-face timing - there's probably an app to call the moon- device.

I struggled with the purchase, to be sure. Does she truely need it? Are we, as parents, do the right thing by allowing her to buy this? That's a huge purchase. Does she need a hand held gaming device? Isn't this the tiniest bit insane, an eight year old with an ipod Touch?

In the end I decided that she saved the money for it. She forgoe presents from most of our family and her friends so she could have this. And I'll be completely honest with you. When she donated the  money she had in DSI jar to that Japan Relief fund back in May? I think I probably decided then that she'd get it, regardless. That act of selflessness right there sold me on her character.

I was bothered that my husband couldn't get his head around us giving her money, so we got her a new bike. Which, yes she needed. But now I'm struggling with, "She got an ipod and a bike? Who do we think we are?" But again, she saved for it.

And that right there is the kicker. We taught her the value of saving. Of planning. Of waiting. Of financial responsibility.

However, On Sunday night I went crazy and downloaded every single app I could find that was educational -- math flash cards, tanagrams, learning multiplication, spelling, build your own story -- and told her that she had to use them for a half hour each day. When we're on long trips she can't just play, "Squish The Ant" or "Touch The Button." She readily agreed, because the flash cards are on her ipod. And that is so cool.

Here's hoping.

(and Sarah got Violet's Shuffle. So now she walks around belting out, "She Wears High Heels I Wear T-shirts!" half the day. She's happier than Violet was, I think.)

PS. My spell check is NOT working *grumble grumble* *insert special words* so please excuse any errors. I think I caught them, but you never know.