The economist

Lately Samson is fascinated with the scarcity principle. I.e., whenever we purchase something or give him something, he asks: "Is this the last one?"

I've been noticing this for a while now, and I suspect it has its roots in some innocuous conversation Samson and I had at a store when we found something that was, indeed, the last one.

Of course, it's pretty rare in the supermarket or Target or any other place that your purchase (like, say, a jar of Skippy) will be the "last one." [He would have loved Soviet supermarket shopping in the early 1980s.] But I understand completely that getting the last one makes it feel just a little more special.

So yesterday, we were in the snack aisle --- which almost made Jane explode as she saw bags and bags of crispy, salty things and kept yelling "PUFFS, PUFFS" --- when Samson remembered we were out of Pirate's Booty.

If you've never had this stuff, it's worth picking up. If you have, you know it's like Scooby snacks for kids. Seriously, Jane sat quiet and content for almost an entire hour at Mass on Sunday and only got squirrelly when I tried to take the bag from her [it seemed inappropriate to be carrying food up to communion].

Anyway, we found the shelf with the Pirate's Booty, and lo and behold, way in the back, behind some other stuff: One. Last. Bag.

I wish I had a picture of the look of triumph on Sam's little face.