Beatles Rockband

I can't help but think of my Dad every time we play this game. He played such great air drums that I know he would have rocked the stage.

As part of our music lessons (or just for plain fun) we play this a LOT. Not only are they getting to listen to historic music, but they are getting some rockin' rhythm! They might look solemn, but it's really just intense concentration.

A nice day for a drive

Are you ready for some football!

I squeeze our new red and black Nerf football. It's Sunday. I should be watching the games, but it's so nice that we headed out for our own practice. I picture my little men in jerseys someday. Alex the bouncy fullback, and Brent the wiley receiver. We're pumped. We're ready. We're going to play some FOOTBALL!

"Okay... we're just going to practice throwing the ball back and forth a few times."

Brent throws it to me. I fetch it.

I throw it to Alex. He fetches it.

Alex has to count three lightning strikes, twirl around, and then throws it back. I fetch it.

This continues for a few minutes. Now Brent is doing lighting strikes (?) before each throw, and alternating right and left hands. The hand he uses determines how far I have to fetch.

"Alright, lets try running for touchdowns! Go long, Alex!"

Alex runs two feet away.

"No, run out a bit further..." He runs two more feet. I just throw it.

He jumps, the ball hits him in the face. He chases it and tackles the ball, then runs downfield.

"Brent! Go cover him!"

Brent pretends to chase away the 'bad guys'. Alex gets excited and runs in circles. They start playing Star Wars with invisible light sabers. I call them in for the next play.

"Okay. This time I'm going to hike the ball to you, Brent. Alex, you run behind him. Brent, you place the ball in Alex's hands, and Alex, you run for a touchdown."

We get in our positions.

"I HAVE TO PEE!" Brent screams, then runs to the goal post tree and soaks it, making circles.

We get in our positions again.

"Okay..this time we're going to use another tree as the goal post"

I hike the ball to Brent. He stands and looks at me. Alex twirls and jumps in place.

"Brent! Give the ball to Alex!".

Alex takes the ball and runs to the left. I redirect him, and they both run down field, punching invisible 'bad guys' and zig zagging down to the goal. Alex throws the ball in the air. "I've been tackled!!" he yells, and falls down next the ball. Brent picks it up, then tosses it and flops down in the leaves, too. Tackled, I suppose, as well.

I call them back.

"How 'bout we play Super Mario football?!?!?!" Alex says excitedly.

"No...I don't know what that is, but we're not playing that. This is real football, guys! Don't you want to learn real football?"

"It's when you have to beat Bowser and then baby Bowser and Dry Bones will be on our team, and the Princess...no, not the Princess...YOSHI!! Yoshi will be on our team!!!"

Brent is hopping excitedly and they go running around the yard, making various noises and sound effects. I lay down in the leaves in the 70 degree November day and just listen to the most absurd and perfect football game ever.

Halloween 09

I suppose we could have gone trick or treating in the rain.

We would have missed eating gooey eyeballs, and making homemade pumpkin pie after carving our pumpkins. We might have gotten fresh roasted pumpkin seeds, but most likely we wouldn't have. And the house wouldn't have smelled of nutmeg and cloves and fresh pumpkin.

Instead of driving somewhere in the cold rain, we played Mario games and Beatles Rockband. We turned off all the lights and ran around the room with our glowsticks and halloween flashlights. They ate slimed crackers (Easy Cheese and green food coloring), gummy snakes, and colored noodles. They stayed up late, and laughed often with fake bass voices that they donned to go with their mustaches.

I suppose we could have gone trick or treating in the rain, but sometimes things work out for the best, and bring out the best in all of us.