Bits and Pieces

Snippets of life around here:

My 5 year-old-daughter's current obsession is Uno.  She loves to play it all the time. And because I also love to play games, we play often.  But I have to tell you - she is no lightweight when it comes to this game.  She loves to hit us up with a skip, reverse or a +2, or better yet, a +4.  Every time she plays one of those cards, she looks at us with a smirk and says "Don't even think about it!" or "Too bad so sad!".  I blame her father for her cut-throat competitive spirit.

My 8 year-old-son is obsessed with mood rings (and eagles, hedgehogs, wolves, sonic and red pandas), and my husband told him one of his favorite Tracy Morgan lines:  "I can't find my mood ring!  I don't know how I feel about that!"  Ever since, we have heard this line from the all the children, said with varying accents.  It cracks us up every time.

At dinner tonight, the red panda-loving boy told us a joke.  I have to tell you, my dears, that jokes at our table by the younger set are typically erratic and completely off the wall.  But tonight, we actually heard one that made sense.  And it was a complete original!  It went like this:  "Why do pandas like loud noises?  Because they love panda-monium!"  I see a future in stand-up!

My eldest son recently won our school's spelling bee, and today he won a regional Lutheran school math competition for 7th graders.  I am so proud of him!  But it appears his prowess at his competitions of late is all due to his mamma.  No, it's not my brilliance in math and spelling, as I'm sure you were all assuming. . .you were assuming that, right?  Rather, it appears that my absence at both of these contests is the reason he won.  I almost always attend bees and competitions, and this year, due to sickness and work, I had to miss both.  So, it is obvious that I am the anchor in his boat.  I am considering skipping all of his future sporting events as well.  I don't want to get in the way of his success!