Temple Trip and What a Rip?!

Chicago, IL temple

Once a month, Josh and I attend the temple. This month we made it on the last day of the month, but still made it. Going to the temple is always a production because it takes about 8 hours start to finish, but it is SO worth it, and I'm grateful that we do it. We usually bring the boys with us, and just switch watching them while the other gets to do a session. When we are all done, on our way home we stop at what I consider one of the happiest places on earth (next to the place that we just left) and that place is called Lake Forest Oasis.

oa·sis: 1 : a fertile or green area in an arid region (as a desert)
2 : something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

For our purposes we will reference definition 2. A refuge indeed! By the time we are done with our day of the temple we are starving, and going to the Lake Forest Oasis definitely provides the relief we seek. Basically, it is like a foodcourt that is built over the freeway. We walk in the doors, I head to Panda Express, Josh to Taco Bell, and then after that down to McDonald's for the boys, and the best part--you get to sit there and eat your hodge podge of deep fried goodness as you watch all of the cars on the freeway zoom under you. I love temple days!

Also located at the Lake Forest Oasis is a large kiosk of these bad boys. Will and Giggies excitedly run to it to "play" it while Josh and I get all of the food. In the past we have never given them money for them, knowing, that they are impossible to win. (I'm sure I'll have some smarty pants comment that they know the trick to actually getting a prize, if that's the case, then, do tell, Houdini! I'm pretty sure it can't happen) I mentioned a while back that Will lost his first tooth, and he has been saving his tooth fairy money for this very machine. We tried to warn him many times that he may not win. Wouldn't you like to just go to target and get a toy? But to him, that was crazy talk! With this machine you get a toy and you get to play a game, how is it even a choice?
So, Josh learily walked with Will to Satan's toy machine after we were done eating. With the dollar they had two attempts to get the toy. Will tried first---not even close. He then wisely deferred to daddy, and naively said, "Hey, daddy, I want this green one here, (you know the one wedged in the corner that you can never possibly get) " Josh told him that they would be lucky to get one at all. Josh tried, lined it up, the claw went right over the ball, and of course slipped right from it's grasp. Will was crushed. Never have I seen him look so disappointed, not even when we pulled the fast one on him of "yeah, yeah, it's just a doctor's appointment" when really it's "oh and by the way, you are getting surgery".
He plead for more money. Seeing his distress we reluctantly gave him one more shot, which again, he wisely said, "you do it, dad" talk about a pressure situation! Unfortunately, again he couldn't deliver. Immediately, Will started crying and as Josh scooped him up and took him aside to comfort him. I snuck back to the machine, inserted my last 2 quarters, said a quick prayer, "Heavenly Father, please let me win" now let me digress for a moment. I am confident that if I would have left the prayer at that, that I would have indeed got that little, stupid ball, but I pridefully continued my prayer, "...please let me win, so I can show Josh how this is really done," and my outcome was the same. Now quarterless and crushed we all headed to the car. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this experience:
1-The proud will fall
2-Toy crane machines, like slot machines, are Satan's tools, stay away from them
3-The combination of chow mein, Chicken Chalupa, and french fries, no matter how delicious it sounds, will make your tummy feel sick.