Quarter Hoarder

We spent the afternoon today at one of Aidan's friend's birthday party at the local bowling alley. The bowling alley also featured a mini-arcade with games galore. Aidan is my little video game addict. (I so blame his father.) This little addiction kept Aidan pretend playing and gazing at all the games in the arcade in pure delight.

After some bowling and pizza, the birthday boy's father gave each child four quarters for the arcade. I saw Aidan grab the quarters and run in a mob of boys to the arcade.

Ten minutes later, Aidan walked over to me and asked if I had any quarters for him. As I looked through my purse and wallet, I told him I didn't.

"Didn't you get four quarters to play already?" I asked him.

"Yes," Aidan replied.

"Okay, I will give you a dollar to get change, but no more after that okay?" Aidan nodded as I pulled the dollar out of my wallet.

"Take the dollar over to the counter and the man will give you four quarters. Okay, Aidan?"

Aidan gazed at the dollar in awe. He looked at me, over at the attendant, and back at the dollar bill he clutched in his hands.

After some hesitation, he said, "Okay."

I saw the hesitation and figured he was nervous about approaching a stranger for change. "Do you want me to go with you to get change?" I asked.

He shook his head and walked away.

When we returned home a few hours later, Aidan told me he needed to empty his pockets.

"What's in your pockets?" I asked him.

He smiled a shy smile, giggled and showed me a dollar and four quarters.

I laughed out loud for a good three minutes.

"Why didn't you use the money to play games?"

He shrugged and said, "I wanted to save it instead. I'm going to put it in my bank."

My little quarter hoarder.