Economy of a Seven-Year-Old

He asked me to play store with him today. He was setting the prices and running the cash register. I was his sole customer.

I bought movies, shirts, board games, a treadmill. a cookbook, a laundry basket, some towels, and other miscellany from around the basement "store."

I asked him how much for the piece of Escher art?

"Well, do you know how I figure the price of art? By square feet, or feet square, whatever."

He made a tiny frame using the thumb and forefiinger of each hand, then held it up from across the room, framing the art. I estimated silently: two square feet and wondered if he'd think two dollars per.

"Um, four dollars, please."
I was so tickled.
"You're a good estimator of square feet, " I said, impressed by my first grader. His teacher introduced them to that concept, one which I hadn't heard of till middle school.

"Thanks. What else do you wanna buy?" he asked.
"Ummm... how about the dog?"

We both took a good look at our trusty old golden retriever who was taking yet another nap on the laundry room floor.

"Oh, 36.99," Joel said, sighing. "She's not a very fast-running dog."
"She's not?" I asked.
"No, she can't even catch a squirrel. So just give me 36 dollars."

It was all I could do not to burst out laughing. He's such a serious little businessman.