I had just finished typing a study guide at the computer when my six-year-old Joel came to me, butt naked, with a quarter in his hand. (He was fresh from the shower.)
"Mom, wanna play Heads and Tails?"
"Sure. How do you play?"
"Well...you say 'heads' or 'tails' ...and ...then I... flip this coin." (He is speaking in semi-staccato, as he always does when making up the rules as he goes along. In such cases, I am skeptical that the game will be either challenging or fun. But I play along anyway.)
"Okay, what do I get if I'm right?" I ask.
"You get to hug me."
"I like that!" I say. "And if I'm wrong?"
"I have to hug you," he said. (Have to? Man!) "We'll play fifteen rounds, okay?"
"Okay! Let the games begin!" I say. I got to hug his wonderful, soft skin 15 times in a row. It feels good to be a loser.
"Mom, wanna play Heads and Tails?"
"Sure. How do you play?"
"Well...you say 'heads' or 'tails' ...and ...then I... flip this coin." (He is speaking in semi-staccato, as he always does when making up the rules as he goes along. In such cases, I am skeptical that the game will be either challenging or fun. But I play along anyway.)
"Okay, what do I get if I'm right?" I ask.
"You get to hug me."
"I like that!" I say. "And if I'm wrong?"
"I have to hug you," he said. (Have to? Man!) "We'll play fifteen rounds, okay?"
"Okay! Let the games begin!" I say. I got to hug his wonderful, soft skin 15 times in a row. It feels good to be a loser.
There's nothing like getting to hug your own clean, naked kid over and over. Even if he "has" to.
3 comments:
I wholeheartedly agree!
How cute is Joel!
That is the sweetest flip of the coin story I know! Compare it to the way my older brother taught me to play it when we were little kids. He said, "Heads I win. Tails you lose." (Tricky brother. I could never win!)
haha--where does he come up with these things? adorable.
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