Keep the Change

We didn't give the boys an allowance, but we did allow them to pick up any loose change they found around the house. This kept us from having piles of quarters and nickels cluttering up the space and we didn't always have to have a certain amount of money at the end of each week to hand out to the boys. We also frequently let the boys keep the change after running a shopping errand.

"Here is the 18 cents change from the bread" they would say.

"Oh, keep the change!" We would say. I mean, 18 cents, really.

When Quinlan wanted an expensive jacket, we told him that it was just too much money. So we were surprised when he walked into the house wearing his new expensive jacket.

"How could you afford that?" I asked, desperately hoping that he wouldn't reveal that he had stollen it.

"You know how you told me I could keep the change?" he asked slyly, "I did."