You Know You Make Me Want To Shout!

A few weeks ago, before bed, the kids wanted to play a game. I offered them free time in their rooms before bed, but they both wanted a game with me. I said, "OK, get a game from the basement." They both clamored down the steps like stampeding bison. I was hoping for a nice quick game of UNO. Then they came up grinning ear to ear with the 'Twister' game.

They must not have seen my shoulders fall in disappointment.

"Look, Dad, your favorite game!", they shouted.

And there was much rejoicing. (yay)

I don't remember exactly when I got so old, but this game does a good job of reminding me. Well, let's make the best of this, I thought to myself. If it is good enough for 450 North Dakota students, then we can have fun too. I put in my Animal House CD for mood music. It just seemed appropriate for Twister. Especially when Twistin the Night Away played. The kids reminded me of the rules. If you fall, you're the spinner. If you don't fall, your the winner. Winners win, losers spin. "Daddy, you're the first spinner."

That's fine with me. Does that mean I'm the first loser too?

Luckily, all three of us know our lefts, rights and colors. Sweet Pea sometimes gets left/right amnesia when it is strategically advantageous. Number One Son never seems to catch on to this.

The first game lasted pretty long. Both kids kept their balance and played by the rules pretty well. Sweet Pea was the first casualty. That 'right foot red' always gets her.

Sweet Pea always has to be a little different, and her spinning was no exception. When she was spinner she would call out, "Yellow foot left." Number One Son would giggle and say, "I don't have a yellow foot". She kept calling, without knowing what we were laughing at. "Blue hand right". Both kids thought it was funny when Dad would have to step completely over one of them to find his spot. "You're just like a tent, Daddy." Well, we all won some and we all lost some and, astonishingly, there were no fights.

The 'Animal House' CD came around to the song 'Shout'. That was the official end to 'Twister' and the official start to our dance party. I let them dance to that song three or four times to get them tired enough for bed. It did the trick.

If any of you parents are having trouble getting your kids to bed at night, try using the Twister method. Every night, get the Twister game out. Play about a dozen games and end the night dancing to Otis Day singing Shout.

It works every time. Now where's my ice pack?