Would You Remember?

If you were a pre-teen boy who had had his video game-playing privileges revoked and the gaming systems removed from the house on numerous occasions--once for 18 months--would you remember the rules when the game systems were reinstalled? I'm just asking.

Sorry!

One of the highlights of Rachelle's year is playing Sorry! with Uncle David during the holidays. Rachelle and Uncle David are the two regular participants. The other two vary from year to year. Mark and Candace were the other opponents last evening.

Part of the fun is watching Uncle David's antics. Sometimes a pocket knife is involved. Other times he may sit atop the dining room table while playing. Banter, taunts, mild "threats," heckling and the like are part of the competition. Most of the time, Uncle David loses despite his very best, competitive efforts to win. Last night, he won. He celebrated with a victory dance.

The "G" Family

We recently got together with our good friends and former neighbors, the "G" family--parents John and Cindy, and kids Andrew, Jennifer and Jessica. We've shared many fun and not-so-fun times (like our mutual lice experience) over the years. Sara and Jessica once got into mischief that involved the police.

Rachelle and Jennifer still "hang out" whenever they get the chance and remain very close friends.

Whenever I tell Zach that I'm visiting with his "best friend," he'll ask, "Cindy?" Cindy and I used to swap babysitting. She'd watch Sara and Zachary one day a week while I ran errands, and I watched Jessica another day while she did the same. Zach felt like their home was his home and would often walk into their house and announce, "Cindy, I'm home!" Other times he would sneak in unannounced. He enjoyed playing video games with DooDoo (Andrew). He once had a belching contest with John.

Cindy and I visited Andrew and Annica's fourth grade classroom (with preschoolers Jessica and Sara in tow) while the students were very quitely busy with a Halloween activity. Sara loudly proclaimed, "I love you, Andrew!"

Jessica is studying at a beauty school and needs practice cutting hair. Mark was a willing subject. Here is the "after" picture.

We love this family, but don't get to see them often enough. Cindy currently lives and works in Doha, Qatar and comes home every 12 weeks or so.

Unique Prayer Request

I have said and listened to thousands upon thousands of prayers in my 50 years, but never have I heard this prayer request until last night: "Please bless me that water won't seep into my shoes from the bottom and get my feet wet; and please bless me that my shoes will get better traction." Amen!

Participial Phrases

Another day, another homework battle at our house. Of course, I'm referring to Mark. Who else would it be? Tonight's first subject was Humanities. The assignment was to write participial phrases. Instead of the assignment at hand, there was stalling, begging for TV (it helps you think, you know), whining, fiddling around . . . you name it.

Finally, Mark admitted to needing help. "I can't think of any participial phrases."

I could think of plenty:
*Punishing your son
*Taking privileges away
*Whining all the time
*Throwing a tantrum
*Spanking my son's bottom (just kidding, of course)
*Going to your room
*Missing out on Christmas gifts
*Acting like an infant
*Failing this assignment
*Shortening your mother's life

Should I Do It?

Many people have told me that I "should write a book." Not just any book, mind you. A book filled with anecdotes about my children--actually, one child in particular. I could do that. People might even buy it.

What I really should do is to write a book that includes anecdotes about all of my children. However, my offspring would be embarrassed, to say the least, to read what I wrote about them. Some of the stories would be stranger than fiction. Trust me.

I toy with the idea of writing the book under an assumed name and changing the names of my kids to "protect the innocent" (or the "guilty" as the case may be).

(One chapter could be about the essays some of my darlings have written. Just tonight, one youngish boy of mine wrote a paragraph about how seeing things burn gives him a calm, tranquil feeling. I'm a little worried that, should an arson occur close to our home, my boy might be considered a "person of interest.")

Back to the subject at hand: should I write the book?

Food for Thought

Upon emerging from the shower, Mark announced: "While showering, a thought came to me: why do our stomachs heal faster than our skin? What causes it? How can we incorporate the healing properties of our stomach into our skin?"

Perhaps he has a career in medical research in his future.