THE CLAW

You know those silly arcade games with the menacing claws that look perfectly capable of snagging a fluffy stuffed animal yet never seem to actually catch one? The lightweight, stuffed animals in the machines are always in intriguing positions that trick the naive into thinking that they could surely maneuver the scary claw well enough to win a stuffed prize. Coin after coin goes into the machine, but nothing comes out. The claw mocks those that foolishly insert all their pocket change. Just one more quarter...I must have the pink polka-dotted bunny...this quarter will be the one...I caught the bunny! It's mine! Oh, wait. The claw dropped it. I must be getting closer though! One more quarter... Before one knows it, a person is broke and living in a cardboard box all because of the cursed claw! It's a conspiracy.

The Claw Machine

I, of course, have enough self-control that I would never succumb to the lure of the dreaded claw. I'm much too wise to believe that there is actually a chance to win one of the cute plush toys. Those machines always have the same toys inside because no one ever wins! It's a scam! Right?

Wrong! Look what I won! Really! The claw does relinquish it's prisoners every once in a while (probably, like once ever century).

Yeah, I know I said I was much too wise to play those silly machines, but when a girl as cute as this one...begs change from me, I can't resist. Little Miss Riley has life all figured out. She knew she probably would have better luck getting money for the stuffed animal machine out of me than her mommy (because her mommy is too smart!), so she asked me if we could play. Of course, I couldn't say no. I gave Riley some change and she tried to get the elephant out of the machine. She didn't win, so then it was Colter's turn. I played for him, and low and behold, I won an elephant! Really, really! What made it even better was that when Colter saw Riley was sad that we won the elephant she wanted, he gave it too her. Such chivalry from my two-year-old! I was so proud of him for being so darn sweet, and Riley was pretty happy to have her elephant. I'm not sure she got to play with it much though because I'm pretty sure another sweet girl took it over. :) See. I told you.