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The reward for night of family bonding was 10 whole tickets
By Debbie Farmer
I recently read an article which stated spending quality time with my children was essential for healthy family bonding. So when my husband suggested we visit a local pizza parlor with arcade rides and Skeeball (a game where we could win tickets to trade in for cheap plastic prizes), I thought it was a perfect opportunity for my family to have a fun time together.
As soon as we arrived, we ordered our pizza and got $10 worth of quarters. We wandered over to a Skeeball game, and my husband slid a quarter into the slot. We watched as the balls rolled down the chute.
"Roll the balls up the alley," my husband explained, "and try to get them through one of the numbered rings at the top."
My children nodded. My daughter picked up the first one, flung her arm back and pitched it into the protective netting above the game.
"Cool!" said my 3-year-old son.
"Let me show you." My husband grabbed the next ball, closed one eye like a military sharpshooter and rolled it into the gutter next to the alley. My children looked longingly at the empty ticket dispenser while the family playing next to us had enough tickets to trade in for a vacation house in the Bahamas.
My son grabbed the next ball and heaved it up the alley and into the 10-point ring.
"Yay!" my children cried as a ticket finally popped out.
What could we get with one ticket, Mommy?" my daughter asked.
"A piece of pencil lead," I said. "Keep playing."
By the time our pizza was ready we had spent $5 and earned three tickets. My husband decided to keep playing while we ate. Half an hour later he staggered toward our table with beads of sweat pouring down his face and his arm still swinging by his side.
Look, Hon," he said holding out his hands. "Ten whole tickets." He had a crazy look in his eyes as he guided the children to the prize case.
"I want the big gorilla," my daughter said, pointing to the top shelf.
The tag under the gorilla said 3,500 tickets. I calculated how many turns my family would need, and figured it would cost more than the mortgage payment on our house to win a 50-cent stuffed animal.
"How about something else?" I pointed to the erasers and plastic rings on the bottom shelf.
My daughter furrowed her brow as she considered the other prizes. "OK. I want the red heart necklace."
I looked at the heart necklace that was cut in half between the words "My Best Friend" with each half hanging on a separate ribbon. The sign said seven tickets.
"We'll take it!" I shouted.
My son chose a plastic dinosaur with the remaining tickets and I ushered my family out to the car.
On the way home, I was disappointed that our family bonding experience had turned into an opportunity to pay $10 for a plastic necklace. I also had a headache.
"Mommy, why do I have two necklaces?" my daughter asked from the back seat.
"So you can give one to your best friend."
"Should I give it to Laura or Ashley?"
"It's up to you, honey." I closed my eyes trying to shut out any more conversation about the expensive piece of junk. "You can decide tomorrow."
"I know who!" she cried.
"Tell me later," I snapped. "I don't want to hear anything more about it now."
She put the necklace in her pocket and didn't mention anything about it, so I leaned back in the seat to take a nap.
My husband nudged me awake when we arrived home. As I staggered into the house I realized my daughter had slipped half of the best friend necklace around my neck, and she was wearing the other half. I smiled and realized we didn't need a stuffed gorilla to make our family day a success.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
