Classic Spark

The kids and I went to Sam's today to pick up some Romaine Hearts and couple of other things that found their way into our cart.  Back in the frozen section a guy was giving out pizza samples.  Spark really wanted one of those pizza samples but the two times we went by his stand he was out of them and waiting for another pizza to bake.  Sensing deep disappointment in Spark, and the fact that it was 2:00 and we hadn't had lunch yet, I thought I would surprise the kids and get them each a pop and a slice for pizza from the snack bar. 

At the front of the store the first thing Spark says is that he wants a pop.  I told him no he doesn't need a pop thinking I am going to surprise him in a minute with pop and pizza.  We start putting our items on the conveyor belt and I hand the Sam's card to Spark and tell him to give it to the check out lady.  The people in front of us finish and I look up to see Spark at the snack bar so I dart over there because now we are holding up the line as the lady waits for our card. 

I thought dang, he is buying a pop with his own money.   I dart over to the snack counter to get the card and he is standing there with the pen from the credit card machine in his hand.  When I ask what he is doing, the lady behind the counter says that his card isn't working and she can't get it to register his charge.  I mumble that there isn't any charging on our card and quick give Spark a dollar because I need to get the card and get back to the check out.  What I really want to do is say to her, "Do you think it might be because he is ten!" and make him put the cup back but I don't want to make a scene and I don't want to embarrass him.

I finish checking out and asked Spark what in the world he was thinking and that I was going to surprise him and Dancer with pizza and a pop if he would have listened and obeyed but not now.  Part of getting no pizza was that I was irritated that he was more concerned with what he was going to get than helping with the task at hand and the other part was there was no way I was going back to the snack bar and face that lady again.

He said he thought I meant to take the card to the lady at the snack bar and pay for the pop.  We had a little chat about how you can only charge with a credit card and only people with bank accounts can do that and you would never use another persons card.  I explained  how Dad and I can't even use each other's cards because our names aren't on them. 

Now in his defense he sees us use very little money to buy anything, we always use the debit card.  I was happy I even had a dollar because usually I don't carry any money.  If I do carry money then I spend it a couple dollars here and there where as with the debit card I don't do that.

The more I thought about the incident the more I thought that I have to remember that he is ten, and impulsive, and that 95% of the time he does what he is supposed to do.  I thought about how both of us learned a little lesson today and it was a great teachable moment.

By the time we got home I was laughing out loud about it because it is so classic Spark to do such a take charge sort of thing to boldly march over to charge a pop and think he would just sign for it.  I love that kid, without him our lives would be so boring.