Yesterday morning, Jude announced rather "out-of-the-blue" that he wanted to get a pet lizard. Believe it or not, this didn't freak me out. However, I know enough about these pets to know that they are expensive and require a fair amount of space--a precious commodity around here.

However, I figured this was a good chance for Jude to learn a few different skills, so I said, "Okay. How about you do some research today to find out what kind of lizard you want, and how much it will cost."

So he did. He searched. He googled. He wikipediaed. He found informational videos. I showed him what the different parts of the pet information websites he found were for, so he could navigate them more efficiently. (Internet rule #2 laid down: Never click on any advertisements! #1 is: No searching the internet when Mom and Dad aren't around!)

Before long, he decided on a bearded dragon. He then spent the rest of the day finding out all he could about bearded dragons and how to take care of them. When he had to be off the computer so his brothers could have a turn, or so he could do things like eat or chores, his brain was still percolating on and regurgitating the things he had been reading about.

"Mom, bearded dragons only get up to twenty-four inches long!"

"Mom, did you know that bearded dragons come in red, green, yellow... ?" and on through the rainbow.

"Mom, bearded dragons eat crickets and dark green vegetables!"

Even when he found out that, after he saved up the $300 to buy the pet and all of the one-time expenditures to supply its needs, it would cost about $24 a WEEK to feed an adult Bearded Dragon, he was not deterred. Never mind that he hardly makes $24 in a year!

I reminded him what Dollar Bill says (a kids' character created by Dave Ramsey to help kids learn about handling money): "When you don't have enough money to buy something, you go to WORK!" He then started brainstorming about how to make money. Various schemes were presented, but the one he really latched onto for the first thing to try was a lemonade stand, set up on a hot day when the gun range (the entrance of which is a few hundred yards down the road from our driveway) was especially popular.

All along, I had been cautioning him that he was just exploring options, and he and I would need to discuss the whole thing with Daddy when he got home. I managed to hold him back from attacking Jason with the scheme until we were seated at the supper table.

Before long, Jason and I were able to introduce the idea of another, cheaper pet as a first pet option. One that doesn't live ten years, doesn't cost $300 to get started with, and costs a few dollars a week to maintain--a hamster.

The momentum didn't stop--he spent the remaining time he had before bed researching hamsters with Jason, and is looking forward excitedly to our trip to Grande Prairie in a few days, when I told him we would stop at Petland to check out prices. Also, today he bought lemons and chocolate chips to set up his lemonade-and-cookie stand this weekend. (Go, little entrepreneur, go!)

Once he gets an exciting idea in his head, he really gloms onto it and rolls with it. Obsessively, almost.

... I have no idea where he gets that from. *whistles and rolls eyes*