Flammy the Flamingo

Ally loves flamingos. I don't know why, but she is absolutely obsessed with them. My mom took her to the zoo a few months ago and I think that is where it all began. She is facinated with them. In the morning, we can predict that she will walk out of her bedroom wearing one of two things: a.) her pink flamingo bikini or b.) her flamingo t-shirt. (Thanks Susan, a break from the Cinderella dress is much appreciated.) Currently, her most prized possession is a teeny tiny set of plastic lawn flamingos my sister gave her, which she stores in a shoebox decorated with none other than....flamingo pictures she made with my aunt. My mom bought her a blow up pool toy flamingo a couple weeks ago and she slept with it, the plastic sticking to her skin and all. She tries to stand like them, draw them, and can spot them anywhere. She came running towards me last night with the Pottery Barn Kids catalog pointing to a giant fabric flamingo on the back page. "LOOK! It's a flamingo!" she said, "We should buy it!"

Maybe it's because they are pink? I don't know. So we're walking through Rite Aid the other day and she, of course, finds a flamingo beany baby. Again, I hear "LOOK, It's a flamingo! We should buy it!" I say, "Where's your money?" Not really paying much attention, we keep walking along in the store. We get to the cash register and I'm thinking she's still holding the beany baby flamingo and it's time to put it back. I look down at Ally who's standing there, no flamingo in her hand, and I ask where it went. She says, "I put it back because I didn't have any money." Ok break my heart a little. Here is my tiny 3 year old telling me this. Not in a pouty or sad way, just very matter of fact. Most kids would have thrown a giant fit if they didn't get what they wanted. Especially if it was something they really loved. Ally just put it back. A flood of pride washed over me. My child didn't freak out because she didn't get what she wanted!

So what do I do?
"Honey, we can get the flamingo."

Four dollars and ninety-nine cents well spent.