45

Thats the magic number... The kids' school is participating in a fundraiser that asks the students to sell cookie dough and other desserts. Of course, my kids brought home their packets and were all abuzz about the prizes they could earn by selling these goodies. Of course, the prizes they wanted required them to sell around 100 units. Each. As in, 100 apiece. And these things are not cheap - we're talking $15 for a batch of cookies!

I tried to discourage them from getting their hearts set on the big prizes but at the same time, I didn't want to stop them from dreaming big dreams... So, I decided we'd try it. We set a goal and we went after it.

The school set a separate prize for the students: if they sold 15 items, they would get to take a limo ride to Peter Piper Pizza. Thats a big deal for my 8, 7 and 5 year olds! So 45 batches of cookie dough was our goal. I took the catalog to work and sold 15. The kids were then responsible for the remaining 30. Saturday morning armed with an insulated water jug full of water, dressed in their school uniforms and tennies we took off throughout the neighborhood.

We went around on Saturday before night church (we went because I invited a girl from work); Sunday after morning church (we went again because I worked in the toddler room); and then Tuesday evening after work/school. The story is actually much longer than what I'm writing here, but the result was...

46 batches of cookie dough!!!! Fantastic and unbelievable! I was sooo proud of my babies - they worked sooooo hard! I have already told them that I'm going to take the day off of work when they go in the limo because I'm going to go to take pictures. I really hope they remember this, and learn the value of hard work.

And I also hope they don't want to do this again any time soon. :)