We were at the mall last week. And my boys were getting restless so I took them to a spot in the mall where there was a bunch of ride-on toys. You know the ones that you can insert quarters and they'll go up and down and play a funky tune. I found a nearby bench where I could monitor their running to and fro, as I sat my weary bones down. Aaaaaah, the boys were finally somewhat confined entertained (and I wasn't hunting for them inside of clothes racks, which, by the way, make wonderful hiding places for little boys). I began to just sit and relax and dote on "easy Alice" who was in the stroller. The boys were having a blast. Only I'm really cheap and I let my kids play on them without inserting quarters (rendering them motionless). Does anybody else do this? Am I a bad mom for not letting my kids enjoy ride on toys to their full extent?
As I sat there watching my kids have a ball, I couldn't help but think in my mind "gosh, this is a really good deal, I get to sit on a bench, and my kids get to play on these cool toys- imagining they are firemen in a firetruck, astronauts in a rocket, and cool dudes in a convertible, all for free!" Basically they get to play at a park, that you only have to pay an entrance fee if you want a park that goes up and down. So we as always, play on a park that doesn't go up and down. :)
But then, enter some other kid who comes along and his mom is popping in the quarters to each and very ride-on toy. Suddenly my boys didn't want to "imagine" going up and down anymore, they wanted to really blast off! And they didn't want to make silly spitty sound effects anymore, they wanted real revving of motors and buttons that beep! They began to repeatedly ask me "Mo-om! Can we PLEASE have some quarters?" I began to feel like a stingy, cheap old mom as I repeatedly told them "no, not this time" even though we really never insert quarters anytime.
I let them play for a few more minutes and then I told them it was time to go.
On our way out of the mall. I passed by this big machine that looks like a masive soda pop machine with a huge massive clear round door. I read "Hurricane Simulator". What the?!!!
It required 8 quarters. My curiosity was piqued- what is this fancy contraption? My boys willingly offered to try it out and suddenly I found myself forking out 8 quarters (the same 8 quarters I saved earlier at the ride on toys :P), over to this machine that made me feel like I am sending my boys off to Oz or something.
The machine begins to count down. The boys close their eyes and hug each other tightly and suddenly their hair flies fierce in the wind. They scream, they laugh, they yell at the top of their lungs.
After about a minute, Johnny wants out. He begins to cry and bang on the door, "Mom, I can't breath!" I feel frantic for a second, and then the ride ends.
The boys come out. Johnny is glad to be "home". Jimmy cries "Can we do that again?!"
Next time Moms riding the ride.
0 comments:
Post a Comment