Saturday morning started on a high note—house cleaning! I know, I know, thrilling stuff. But with the promise of a trip to Dollar Tree as a reward, Owen and Gannon were surprisingly helpful. What can I say? The allure of $1.25 treasures is powerful.
Once the house sparkled (or at least looked less like a tornado hit it), we headed out to Dollar Tree, where they gleefully loaded up on candy, stickers, and whatever else their hearts desired. Mission accomplished, right? Not quite.
Lunch was the next stop, and we hit up Mi Pueblo Mexican restaurant for chips, salsa, and some much-needed tacos. But the story doesn’t end there. Conveniently located next to Mi Pueblo is Ulta Beauty—an irresistible beacon of temptation for those of us with a weakness for skincare and makeup.
That’s when Owen, my 15-year-old, surprised me. “Can we go to Ulta?” he asked, completely serious. Turns out, my teen son is all about checking out the latest colognes. I know, right? Who is this GQ gentleman-in-the-making?
“I don’t know, Owen,” I said, trying to resist the trap. “Your dad will get mad if I spend money there. I don’t want to get a lecture as if he’s my dad.”
Cue Gannon, my ever-spirited backseat commentator: “You’re a grown woman! You can do what you want!”
While I appreciated his confidence in me, I had to set the record straight. “Yes, I CAN do what I want, but that doesn’t mean I SHOULD. Big difference, buddy.”
Owen, however, wasn’t ready to let the conversation go. “When I get married, I’m going to give my wife lots of money so she can spend it however she wants. You make more money than Dad. Doesn’t that make you the boss?”
And there it was—the jackpot comment. Naturally, I couldn’t let it slide. “Owen, when you get married, I’m going to share this conversation with your wife.”
Before I could relish the thought, Gannon jumped in, determined to top his brother. “When I get married, my wife AND kids get to buy stuff when they want!”
At that point, we were all laughing so hard we could barely breathe. But as funny as it was, it hit me—this was the perfect teachable moment. My boys are already plotting how to handle marital money, so maybe it’s time for a crash course in finances and relationships. After all, managing money will be very difficult if they are buying things whenever they wish!
So, we skipped Ulta this time (you’re welcome, Huz), but the day wasn’t a loss. Between tacos and treasures, we walked away with some solid laughs and maybe—just maybe—a few life lessons about money, marriage, and the fine art of knowing when to say no to temptation.
Parenting: where every shopping trip is an adventure and every conversation is future blackmail material.
Hey Dana Jane 
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