Ping pong weather

ping pong table in backyard. This photo is from last year. Unfortunately there is a mega mansion being built blocking this mountain view.
This is the view of our ping pong table from last Spring. This year, a McMansion is being built blocking part of the mountain view! What were they thinking!!!

The weather is perfect for ping pong. We had the ping pong table folded up and stored away because our weather was wild this winter with tons of rain, wind and even snow.

Every time I thought the winter weather was over, I’d ask hubby to get the ping pong table out. Guess what happened? It would rain. It would pour. There’d be thunder and lightening.

So we’re a little late in the season for ping pong. But we started playing over the weekend.

We’re competitive with each other but silly, too. My husband commented yesterday that he only has fun if he wins. I guess when I win, he doesn’t view it as that much fun. I have fun regardless. That’s how we’re wired. I didn’t play competitive sports growing up, while he ran track, played football and wrestled. I golfed and skied and was out for recreation.

As for silly, when we first got the table, we immediately ran to our offices (separately) and began viewing youtubes on tricky serves. We laughed when we found out we were up to the same antics.

When it’s my serve, I bend at the waist and mimic Michael Phelps on the blocks doing his routine where he flaps his arms up and down — but I have a paddle in one hand. My objective is to get my husband laughing so hard he can’t return my serve. It still works!

Michael Phelps on the blocks.

It feels good to add a moments of playtime throughout the day.

This is the home being built that cuts into our view. It’s in a separate neighborhood than ours that has golf courses. We’re on the other side of the wall.

What do you do for fun to break up your work each day?

Kids Say the Funniest Things

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Do you remember the TV shows, “Kids Say the Darndest Things” or Art Linkletter in “House Party?” I forgot about these shows for decades until this past Thanksgiving weekend.

I had a great four days. Both kids were home for Thanksgiving. They haven’t had a chance to hang out together for several years because their Christmas holidays and spring breaks were at different times. Thankfully, this Thanksgiving we were all together—which is a rarity.

Whether it was sitting together as a family in our backyard talking or watching my children sit together in the sun playing with the new puppy, I was in Mom heaven.

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Spending time together and with the pup.

Besides Thanksgiving dinner with my dad, college roommate, her mom and brother, and a close friend, one moment that I’ll remember was dinner Friday night. The four of us–me, hubby and two kids–sat together in a booth at a local restaurant and reminisced about the funny things they said as little kids. We laughed so hard we were literally crying and in convulsions.

Here are three funny things my kids said (at least I think they’re funny and hope you do too!)

ONE

When my daughter was born, my son, who was age three talked with Grandpa on the phone. “What do you think of your little sister?” Grandpa asked.

After a few moments, deep in thought, my son answered, “Well she’s got no hair, no teeth and no penis!”

TWO

When my daughter was four or five, she wanted to go over to her best friend’s house to play during the holidays. Her best friend was Orthodox Jewish, so she asked if it was okay to come over or “were they still celebrating the Holocaust?”

Yikes. I think she meant Hanukkah.

THREE

When my daughter was an infant and my son three years old, we had a 16-year-old babysitter join us for a week at the beach. I remember getting the baby out of the car at the park and watching my son with two hands on the babysitter’s bikini-clad boobs. I said something like “What are you doing?” or “That’s not acceptable.” He turned to me and said, “I just want to watch them bounce. Yours don’t do that.”

Out of the mouth of babes. Yes, he was right.…

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At the beach.

Sitting in the restaurant wiping tears from my eyes over the funny things our kids said, my son buried his head in his scarf, unbelievably embarrassed. To me, however, it was a night to remember.

What funny things did your kids say when they were toddlers?

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Wow. I’m missing these guys.