The other day the Coldstone gods dropped a $5 gift certificate into my lap, so I took the wee bit to the local shop. It was time for me to reward her for an excellent progress report, and what better way than the Platonic ideal of ice cream before which all other lesser ice creams humble themselves.

I told her what her options were: she could either have the medium size with a mix-in, or a large size (which she could combine two different flavors, for excitement). It was a big decision, and she doesn't spend her money lightly. She first sampled different flavors of ice cream. She did not like the cheesecake. She liked the mint and said that if you mixed it with chocolate, it would taste like a Christmas mint. She went with her standby favorite, Cake Batter. But she opted for a new mix-in, dropping the usual sprinkles for the new and improved M&M's.

The whole process took about twenty minutes. It was fantastic, and I mean that with absolutely no sarcasm. I find it so interesting that my girl, who has impulse control issues in social situations, is totally pragmatic when it comes to shopping. I can just see her later on in life, when and if she buys a vehicle. She'll test drive at least three, and probably more than once.

Later that night I let her watch a new eppie of Buffy, in which the slayer was fighting in very stylish yet practical boots. We had an in-depth discussion about the pros and cons of wearing stiletto heels for slaying purposes.

Her: I think she should wear stilettos when she fights. She could really stab the vamp in the face and then stake him with the same heel.

Me: Yeah, but Buffy has to do a lot of running, and you can't do that in stilettos. Plus, that style of fighting requires a lot of balance. Also a problem in stilettos.