On Spending Exactly One Dollar

When I was a kid and Mother decided to brave taking me and both brothers to the store with her together, there was one thing we always hoped for. We new that IF we could manage to not argue or fight, not ask for every item we saw of interest, not get in her way, and be the perfectly behaved, wonderful little children she always dreamed of having then one of two wonderful possibilities loomed on the horizon.

Sometimes as a reward she would let us pick out a candy bar at the register.  That was pretty straight forward. My older brother and Mother always chose either a Baby Ruth or a Butterfinger. They always seemed to have a taste for the same thing. My little brother always got a giant Tootsie Roll. I always got plain M&Ms. That was a perfectly wonderful reward. We never argued for more. But, there was a better reward that if we had time she would grant us.

When all of the goodness we had exhibited lined up with the blessing of extra time in the day, she would let us each choose a toy that costed no more than a dollar. I remember standing in the toy section of TG&Y like it was yesterday. It seemed massive. In those days a dollar afforded you plenty of options. My brothers and I used to agonize over what to get. I seemed to narrow my options pretty quickly. The hard part was deciding which item on my short list would be best. I would go from aisle to aisle and stand in front of the item and catalog in my head options of the entertainment the item would provide me. I always had time to do this because my brothers had a hard time establishing a short list. My Mother was back and forth between those two trying to help them decide.

This week in our parenting journey a new challenge is afoot. This particular challenge is of a serious nature. We've been presented with data about our children and their specific needs that stem from their lives pre-us. We have results of a battery of educational and emotional tests they were given. These results came with recommendations for how to proceed. We wanted answers. Now we have them. The trouble is that there are several options for what to do with the data.

I feel, in a way, a lot like that kid in the massive toy department. I'm somewhat overwhelmed with the possibilities. Unfortunately, this time I'm not deciding what choice will be more entertaining. Though, one choice could provide that in a really sick and indirect way. That is for a completely different post. This decision is about what will ultimately better benefit the children. In my head I'm going from aisle to aisle and standing in front of the choices. Oh how I wish for the choices to again be a flashlight or a new set of jacks. On this decision I don't get a do over. There won't be another week and another dollar. I have exactly one dollar and I need to make the right choice.