family fun night

the first family fun night we attended
at the elementary school
was when m was in kindergarten.
she was five, g was three, and k was one.

mm came home from work early,
i took a shower,
a small miracle in those days!
i even dried my hair.
the heavens rejoiced.

i put on sparkly clean clothes
and went to help g get dressed.
while i was putting on his jeans, he says,
"i have to pee."
i was about to say, "okay, just a second,"
but i only got to, "okay,"
and he started peeing. on me.
breathe. count. breathe.
i changed my shirt, jeans, and socks,
yes, socks.
we went to family fun night.

i was way grumpy,
mm chased k all over the gymnasium,
g cried because he didn't win the
"throw the football through the teeny-tiny hole" game,
and m made some kind of sand art thing
that spilled in the car on the ride home.
it was exhausting.

so - point being -
we didn't exactly have the highest expectations
when family fun night appeared on our radar a few fridays ago.
but we are a family darn it!
and we know how to have fun!
right?!?
right!

this year, m is eight, g is six, and k is four.
we all got dressed and ready and headed over to the gym.
m went with her friends,
we didn't see her for the rest of the night.
bittersweet.
g ran and wrestled with his buds,
and k took turns following each of them around.
it was kind of nice.
we chatted with parents, had cookies, laughed.
what could go wrong?

well, part of the fun night included tickets.
tickets to put in prize bags for a raffle later in the evening.
each person got five.
i went with the girls and put ours
in various restaurant certificate bags.
(i actually won the panera one, sweet!)
then the boys went to put their choices in.
i hear someone crying.
it sinks in.
that is my kid.
my middle kid.
the boy.
he is crying and whining at mm.
i walk over. "what the heck?" i say.
"he thinks you put the ticket in and then take the prize," mm says.
"he wants the chuck e. cheese one," he further explains.

so mm takes g out of the gym weeping about his prize.
the drama!
did i mention we are fun?
'cause we are, really we are.

after a time out, we salvage the evening.
he returns, we go on to have a great time.
we make it home and get them all into bed.
mm gets a text.
wouldn't you know,
g wins the chuck e. cheese party for four.

um, yeah. way to reward that tantrum!
thanks a lot. no really.
i'm sure there is a lesson here somewhere?!?
right?!?