A word from Jacob

One morning last week I was in my room getting ready while the kids were also getting ready for school and I overheard the following conversation.

Matthew- Yea, but what is a depression?
Jacob- It was when companies couldn't afford to pay people so they lost their job and then when they looked for a new job they couldn't find one so they had to travel somewhere else and that meant that families were spilt up and separated. Then because their family was split-up they became sad and depressed; that is why it is called the depression- because so many people were depressed.

I did take the opportunity to tell him that an economic depression is different than medical depression but when you stop and think about it; it makes complete sense.

Last night we were discussing a savings account with Jacob. He decided he wanted to open a savings account with his few dollars in change so he could start earning interest and getting more money. We revisited the idea of the 401 P, as in 401 Parents, with matching contribution. We have told the kids for a couple of years now that whatever money they present to buy a car at the age of 16, we will match it. So that got Jacob's wheels turning and J sat him down at eBay to find what $1000-$2000 will buy him compared to $3000-$4000. He looked for awhile and then came into eat dinner.

Later that night I found a sheet of paper with Jacob's requested car features.
-tinted windows
-tilt steering wheel
-tachometer
-split fold down rear seat
-rear window defog

I nearly busted a gut laughing when I saw this list.

Friday night lights

Police, ambulance and fire truck lights that is. While lying in bed late Friday night I heard a crack and some rumbling. I asked J if that was thunder and he said he thought so. A minute or so later I heard commotion and noticed cars in front of our house. Nope, no thunder here, just a car that mistook the house across the street for a McDonald's drive-thru. I don't think he got any fries with that but maybe the police were nice and supersized his handcuffs. The gentleman that hit our neighbors house supposedly passed out from coughing (per his wife) but he'd had enough alcohol to warrant a sobriety test right in the neighborhood street and a chauffeured trip to jail. During his short unconscious spell he drove over a 10 foot bush (starting to resemble a tree), up a slight hill and straight into the house. If he had turned the wheel the other direction he would have driven straight into our front door.

Within minutes every neighbor was in the driveway and people were calling the owner because she wasn't home. After 15 minutes or so a cop rang her doorbell and she answered the door. She slept through the whole thing! By this time there were two firetrucks, an ambulance and four police cars lining the street. What a sight to wake up to!

Looking for luck

Tonight I used up the last of our store-bought fortune cookies for an after-dinner treat. All of them had the standard "apply me to area of your life that would make sense" saying on them except two. Matthew was the lucky one tonight and had two fortunes inside his cookie...Hint #1 that someone was having an off day at the cookie factory. Hint #2: The fortune. What in the world; did they sit around in a 'twiddle your thumbs' meeting on the day these lovely fortunes were put to paper?

I can see it now...the executives called a brainstorming meeting and all the employees tried to think of great, generic catchphrases that would suit the bosses. But every once in awhile someone would slide one in and it would make it through, all the way to the cookie floor. I have decided this was the birthplace of Matthew's fortunes.

Jokester Jim was having a slow brain day so he just starting thinking of his day thus far. Hmmm...the color purple looks really good on Sally today so let's write "Focus on the color purple this week and you will find good luck" (one of the fortunes) I think Jokester Jim had the hots for Sally so he was going to focus on her for the week and hope to find luck for himself. Then my favorite "Let another car cut in front of you today" I'm thinking Jokester Jim was a little slow on the reaction time during his morning commute and had a few cars cut in front of him. But thankfully he was able to spin that into something positive for himself. Good for Jim.

After those in-depth, thought provoking fortunes I think I will find a purple car today and let it cut in front of me. I am sure to be destined for good luck.