The Cost of Cuteness

I am cheap. Even when I was little, I was that kid who went with my grandparents to a toy store and shrugged, "Nah, I don't need anything here--I already have enough stuff." I don't particularly enjoy spending money for its own sake, whether the money is mine or other people's (don't get Bear started on how I've tried for 13 straight years now to convince him that I only want a roll of Bubble Tape for my birthday). The words, "I'm not paying $2.49 for that when I can get it for $1.50 at Target!" have actually left my mouth. I tried to talk Bear into getting me a fake-diamond wedding ring. You get the idea. If I'm shelling out cash, it's for something I think is totally worthwhile...so you can imagine my reaction when I took the girls and cousin Brandon to the giant pumpkin patch nearby, and saw the following sign next to the pony rides:

I should add here that if there's anything I'm more opposed to than wasting money, it's pony rides--horseback riding in general, in fact. To quote Jerry Seinfeld, "I get out of a car that has 300 horsepower...so I can sit on an animal that has ONE." I've never felt more lazy in my life than sitting on a horse, being in possession of two perfectly good legs of my own, and urging it to carry me. Besides, is there anything more pathetic than the sight of five sad ponies, trudging in a circle? I just don't buy it as a form of entertainment.

Well, I don't usually buy it.

I mean, I did buy it. Once, on our honeymoon...okay, and maybe another time or two when Keira was younger. The cute factor won out over my principles, I guess.

And so it happened again yesterday, that as I scowled at the thought of anyone, especially me, paying SEVEN DOLLARS for their kid to participate in the Pony Circle of Sadness, I saw this...

...and began to waver. And after Buggy stood there, gazing longingly at the "fuh-sees?" for a good five minutes straight, I busted out my wallet and forked over the cash, for the sake of fairness (Big Sister got to ride one when she was little!) and, well, cuteness.

This would be one of the, oh, 17 to 20 pics I took myself during that $7 pony ride--what, like there was any chance I was going to pay an extra $7 for their souvenir photo?! At that rate, I got well over a hundred bucks' worth of cuteness out of the experience. Ellie was pretty mellow the entire time, but has talked incessantly about the "fuh-sees?" since then, so I'm assuming she had a good time. Yee-haw!

Keira and Brandon, for their part, had a blast conquering all the bounce houses and giant inflatable slides the place had to offer, and Brandon offered the quote of the day as he exited one of them rubbing his face: "I hit my knee with my eye!" In the meantime, I continued to cash in on all the cuteness the kids had to offer...

"A little help here, please??"

Snack break!

Keira's idea of posing for photos usually consists of muttering the word "cheese" as she glances around looking bored. If I can even get her to look at the camera, it's an accomplishment.

"Wouldn't you...like to buy a pumpkin...for someone like me?"

Again, note Keira's general lack of enthusiasm in the photo, despite bopping around the place like an extra in a soda commercial the entire time we were there:

We capped off the day's festivities with some Halloween sugar cookie decorating...

...and all in all, it was a day (and a few dollars) very well spent!