Silly Putty, really?

Big Girl and friends are getting hustled at school by a girl with silly putty. Really. I pick Big Girl and the BFF up at school the other day. They get in the car and excitedly show me their silly putty. They each have in their tiny hands what amounts to the size of a nickle. Really.

Me: Where did y'all get the silly putty?
Girls: Grace! Isn't it cool? (In unison).
Me: Sure. Cool.
Big Girl: We traded for it.
Me: Traded what?
BFF: Tic Tacs!
Me: Okay.
Big Girl: A bracelet!
Me: Heart sinking, thinking its the silver charm bracelet given to us from Nana, you know the one filled with memorable charms. WHAT bracelet?!!
Big Girl: The one I made at BFF's house.
Me: (Whew, that one's plastic) Okay. But, girls I don't think you should be trading stuff at school with your friends.
Girls: But, its silly putty!
Me: Yes, yes, I know, but really. Let's not trade our things, k.

Fast forward to the weekend. At the bookstore with Big Girl shopping for a birthday present. She brings her tooth fairy money. She wants to buy a new book for her. Great! We get in the car, Big Girl excited about her new book....

Big Girl: I'm so glad I got this book. I was going to give grace my $10 for silly putty!

Put car back in park. Turn around for a discussion about Grace a.k.a. the Hustler and silly putty.

Me: We are absolutely NOT trading $10 for silly putty. Why would you do that? You seem to be getting a bad deal, if Grace is getting money, bracelets and what not and you're getting a dime size of silly putty.
Big Girl: But everything is worth points and the more you give her, the more putty she'll give you.

REALLY? Am I having this conversation?

Me: What else have you given her?
Big Girl: A watch. My purple purse. Other stuff.

Back up....REALLY? The purple purse she is referring to is the purple HOBO wrislet I bought her last Christmas. Mind you, it came from Gift Market, I did not pay retail, but REALLY! Now I'm going to loose it that some 1st grade chick has my Big Girl's HOBO. That's where I draw the line.
No more trading, I tell her. I continue to explain to her why its not right for friends to ask for your things in return for silly putty. NO TRADING. (Also known as hustling - no, I didn't tell her that about her friend.) I told her to go back to school on Monday and tell Grace she needed her purse back and she would not be trading for silly putty anymore. BFF's mom and I both agreed, and told the girls to not trade with Grace or any other friends. There's strength in numbers, right?

What did Big Girl do this week. Came home Monday with her purple HOBO. She told Grace she wanted her stuff back and she wasn't trading with her anymore. That's my girl. Strong, confident, and unwavering. Really!

Big Girl: Mama, will you get me some silly putty? Please?
Me: Yes, but no trading. K.