Family Fun Night

This year, the girls and I opted to make a different kind of New Year's resolution. We decided that we would make a collective resolution to take one night a month and make it Family Fun Night. With each year, the girls get more involved in activities, school and homework become harder, and the social activities keep mounting. We try to eat dinner together each night, and usually on the weekends we find some time to hang out and watch tv or a movie. But overall, we are very busy [who isn't] and don't make fun time together as much of a priority as it ought to be.

We decided to take turns planning the Family Fun Night. The only rules are:
1) Whoever plans it gets to pick whatever they want, and the others cannot grumble, make fun, or in any way indicate they aren't super-thrilled with the idea, and
2) The activity has to cost roughly around the same amount as a "nice" (translate: Not Fast Food) dinner out [since I am in the process of attaining some lofty financial goals and have turned into quite the miser lately, but that's another blog!]

I planned the first night - bowling. I didn't tell the girls, just picked them up from Morgan's basketball game after school and didn't drive home. True to form, Jordan never noticed that we were not headed home [for someone who is supposed to be handed the keys in a year, she sure has no sense of direction!]. Morgan, however, did [so obviously she will play Goose to Jordan's Maverick]. I told them that we were headed out for Family Fun Night, and wouldn't tell them where. So they started guessing. It was hilarious! Here's a brief account of some of the guesses they made:

- going to the mall
- roller skating
- ice skating
- going to the movies
- rock climbing (seriously, and it was like 8 at night!)

Anyways when we got close to the bowling alley, I missed the turn. The very next intersection just happened to have a bus rental on the corner, so I thought, "Perfect!" and pulled in there to turn around. I said, "Girls, we are renting a bus." They sat stunned, not quite sure what to make of this, as I turned around and said, "Just kidding!" I'm not sure if they were relived or disappointed. Maybe that's a thought for another Family Fun Night (wait, that definitely costs more than a dinner out!).

We got to the bowling alley only to discover that there was an hour wait to get a lane. It was Friday night, but really, who knew so many people still went bowling! We decided to try our luck at another alley - in a somewhat shady neighborhood that they are trying to renovate. I was a little worried, and told the girls if it was sketchy at all, we would have to change our plans and have a Guitar Hero, Karioke, DDR marathon at home!

To my great relief, the bowling alley was newly renovated, clean, well-lit, and smoke-free. In fact everyone there looked just like us (not that I don't value diversity and all, but...). We were doubly pleased because it also happened to be Cosmic bowling! The music was fun, the neon black-light effects were fun, we were set for a great time.

We played two rounds. I won both (which isn't saying much since my "high" score was maybe 78!). Jordan was the biggest loser only scoring 18 in one of her games! Of course, we spent just as much time trying to get the perfect photos for my scrapbook, picking out the lightest, most colorful balls, and slurping on Icees, so we weren't disappointed in our scores.

Overall, we had a really great time. The girls didn't even text (ok, maybe they did just a little!) or mind that they had "given up" a Friday night for Family Fun Night! A new tradition is born!!

**Morgan gets to plan next month's and I think she is picking ice-skating...I better do some ankle exercises if I hope to stand a chance!