Princess Vs. Practicle

Emma's amazing $5 garage sale bike is gone. She was pretty upset about it when we told her someone took it. She was really confused why someone would take her bike. It is HER bike after all. When my dad heard the news, he was filled with compassion and offered to buy her a new one. I didn't tell Emma and let her believe as her daddy told her that she wouldn't be able to get a bike until she was 4 years old.

At Wal-Mart, I was met with a tough choice. The boy's bikes were $40. The girl's bikes were $68-$74. The difference was the pretty tassells on the handle bars of the girl's bike and a backpack on the front. The girls had a choice of Barbie, Bratz, and Disney Princesses. Also, the tires on the girl's bikes are white, while the boy's bikes have black tires.

I ended up buying one, after much anxiety, gnashing of teeth, and an annoyed sale's guy who lifted about 15 bikes down for me. What would have done? Spend more and get her a girly bike with white tires or save $30 for something else and get her the boy bike with so frills? 

PS The bike that was stolen that I paid $5 for at a garage sale was a boy bike.