It has arrived. Our first fad. When being in style has become following the crowd.

Silly Bandz. A rubber band formed into shapes. Animals, numbers, logos, symbols and letters.

Normally worn on the wrist, they function like a regular bracelet, and when taken off they revert to their original shape.

In our home, they have become a reward, a bribe, an incentive...and also have been taken away as penalties, growing Daddy's collection.

They only have a few each and because of the nature of the "Game", they come home from church and play with extras or less, depending on who had which ones at the gathering. It's the thing to give away to true or new friends.

"I need it so much. I'm dreadfully in debt, and it won't be my turn to have the rag money for a month."

"In debt, Amy? What do you mean?" And Meg looked sober.

"Why, I owe at least a dozen pickled limes, and I can't pay them, you know, till I have money, for Marmee forbade my having anything charged at the shop."

"Tell me all about it. Are limes the fashion now? It used to be pricking bits of rubber to make balls." And Meg tried to keep her countenance, Amy looked so grave and important.

"Why, you see, the girls are always buying them, and unless you want to be thought mean, you must do it too. It's nothing but limes now, for everyone is sucking them in their desks in schooltime, and trading them off for pencils, bead rings, paper dolls, or something else, at recess. If one girl likes another, she gives her a lime. If she's mad with her, she eats one before her face, and doesn't offer even a suck. They treat by turns, and I've had ever so many but haven't returned them, and I ought for they are debts of honor, you know." -Little Women, chapter 7

{I couldn't help myself but to reprint one of my first encounters of this phenomena.}

After dinner tonight, the girls wanted to barter through Daddy's collection, to trade back ones that they had been eyeing during the day. Troy tries to teach them the great art of market and exchange; ones he has mastered as fellow players of Catan with him would attest.

The girls gave us cause for laughter as Charlotte struggled to reach in her pocket for her few bandz and Ellie teared up several times trying to make Troy understand she "wouldn't trade with him those special ones". It's serious business with the offers and transactions flying back and forth.