The Value of a Dollar

I wanted to go to the health club again today. Mike is gone on his mancation to Mille Lacs Lake, so I need to go everywhere with kids in tow. I wanted to go for three reasons, one being that exercise is good for me, two, because I just wanted to get out of the house for a while, and three, we're nearing the end of the month, and I need to go to the club 8 times in order for my insurance to pick up my membership dues. I'm always surprised when the kids are disgruntled about going, since every time I pick them up from the child center, they want to stay longer. I did not get an enthusiastic response from the muchkins, so I decided to use the power of persuasion, a.k.a. a bribe, to boost their enthusiasm toward the trip. I told them they could each have a dollar to use in the vending machine. The eager beavers quickly changed their attitude. They each proudly clutched their dollar in anticipation of the sweet, sugar-filled treat they would soon be devouring. When I finished my workout, I picked the kids up from the child care. They were getting ready to put their dollar through the slot, which is a treat in and of itself, and their smiling faces turned upside down when they discovered that some crackpot removed the vending machine. Apparently, the contents of the machine are not healthy enough for a health club. In response to the devastation, I quickly devised an alternate plan of action. I took the sugar-crazed maniacs to the corner store down the street from our house. You'd think they'd never been in a store before. They were so excited about the many, many choices that filled those glorious aisles. "Look at this!" and "Look over here!" "Lilah, you'd really like this one!" were some of the shouts of joy heard by everyone in the store. Finally, after about 10 minutes, Gavin chose a diamond ring sucker, Emma chose a package of poptarts, and Lilah chose gummy worms. Lilah's treat added up to $1.00, and besides, she does actually understand the concept of money and change. Emma and Gavin, on the other hand, both received change back for their purchases. They looked at the guy, then turned to me, as if to say, "What's with this fool? I gave him one dollar, and he gave me three coins in return."