whoever invented those toy-dispensing machines and thought of putting them at restaurants is or are quite brilliant. magnet for children. prices range from 25 cents to $5, sometimes even $10.
my grandsons, when they were still small, would hover around those machines while the adults were eating. and oh, the begging and the pleading for the money to waste on those machines.
"but you have so many toys already you're not playing with them anymore!"
"but i don't have this one yet! i want this! please!"
"can't you just poke an eye out of your cousin's dolls?"
yup, my distaste for dolls show, doesn't it? in any case, this wasn't so bad. 25 cents. the little boy got this about a year ago while we were having breakfast at a filipino restaurant. played with it then asked to put it in my purse. when they went back to their mother, he forgot about it. a few weeks ago we were at the same restaurant and he asked for a quarter to get another toy. so i took this out and showed it to him. "you got this a long time ago and you just left it, now you want another crap."
"but, lola," he said with a bat of his long eyelashes, "i gave that to you!"
this one is gross, feels like jelly gooey and is so small it could get lost in my big purse and that's probably how we both forgot it was there. i had to touch it to make the eye ball face the camera and gave me the heebie-jeebies!
yes, the person who owns those machines has a big smile i'm sure! your grandson is smart too - he has all the right answers. very cute. and i bet this all brought a smile to your face so in the end, he was right. ;-)
Awww....I LOVE this story! YOu must put these in a book for your family so they will never forget them! And you kept his eyeball toy in your purse for three weeks? Wow. Those machines can cost dollars?! Wow...times have changed.
LOL- love the shot with all the negative space. wonderful. your story is fantastic. as a lover of dolls - just too funny. go poke an eye out. oh my! have dozens in boxes, not opened- we were just talking about them the other day and how people feel strongly one way or the other about them.
Your photo looks like a piece of art! I know, summerfield .. they always want more. Altho I sometimes think that they like the adventure of that machine more than the toys themselves. You're teaching them a valuable lesson and that's what they're going to remember from all of this.
Thats so funny. I know exactly what your talking about. And it also confirms my belief that children are the greatest con artists in the world. They can talk their way into or out of anything. Lol.
HAHAHAHA -- isn't he a clever sweetie!!! Yes, those little machines are kid-magnets, for sure! Have given over enough quarters myself! Very cool shot and very funny story! (and did you give him another quarter to spend?!)
@sunnygreenwood - he is really smart, anne. two years ago when we were in chicago, he didn't want to leave my brothers house because all the rooms had game consoles. he's telling his mother, "why do we have to stay in a hotel it costs a lot of money. we should save our money so we could live better." i asked his mother where does he learn to say these things and i think even the mother was shocked. when we came back to toronto, i saw an ad for wal-mart with the slogan "save money, live better". i was impressed, for a four year old to be able to use that phrase in another context. the smartest thing he's ever said though was when he told the principal of his school that he's smart because he takes after lola! i tell you, the boy's going to be rich if i suddenly croak! hahahaha!
@espyetta - thank you, MB. no, that toy has been in my purse for more than a year now. he says it has to be in my purse and every now and then he'd ask to see it. as for the challenge, you might have to do the challenge for just one week. those machines could be quite expensive!
@espyetta - or an alternative is the "kinder surprise" chocolate candies. but i don't know if you guys have that in the U.S.
@catsmeowb - no, i'm not a doll person. i am particularly not enamoured of barbie. thank you, camille.
@karenann - thank you, karenann. and you are so right! they just have this thrill of putting in the money, the brief anticipation, then the joy (if they got the toy they wanted) or the disappointment (if it's not what they wanted). because right after they'd asked if they can have another one. haha!
@losthorizon - you nailed it right on the head, beau. 'con artists' of course, especially when they accompany it with a pout and a flicker of their eyes. thank you, beau.
Cute story. I always had fun with those types of toys. Now when I make a stop tomorrow while we are out and want ot buy one of those toys I will know who to blame hahaha
I will keep my eye on your photography! Oh, and if you ever come to my side of town let me know in advance so I can hide all the baby dolls.
@sarasdadandmom - he knows, indeed. thank you, terry.
@espyetta - thank you, MB. no, that toy has been in my purse for more than a year now. he says it has to be in my purse and every now and then he'd ask to see it. as for the challenge, you might have to do the challenge for just one week. those machines could be quite expensive!
@catsmeowb - no, i'm not a doll person. i am particularly not enamoured of barbie. thank you, camille.
@karenann - thank you, karenann. and you are so right! they just have this thrill of putting in the money, the brief anticipation, then the joy (if they got the toy they wanted) or the disappointment (if it's not what they wanted). because right after they'd asked if they can have another one. haha!
@losthorizon - you nailed it right on the head, beau. 'con artists' of course, especially when they accompany it with a pout and a flicker of their eyes. thank you, beau.
@myhrhelper - hehehe! you're a doll person, too, hey? thank you, kathy!
@pamfromcalgary - thank you, pam.
They make for a cool shot tho!
@danig - thank you, DG. parents' nightmare, yes they are.