Last week while driving home, we started playing the alphabet game using the category fruits and veggies. We got stuck in the letters "Q" and "U".... so on our way home, we stopped by a local supermarket to check out their produce section. Since it was uber hot... and I didn't want to head home yet... I devised a scavenger hunt game and had the kids race to find me, first, two things that start with the letter "Q." (Quakers and Quinoa). They ran up and down the aisles... rummaging through this and that. Then I had them find something that starts with the letter "Z." (Zesty and Zingers). Finally... the ultimate challenge. I handed them both a basket and had them go find something that begins with the letter of their first names.
Two years makes a huge difference. NN immediately attacked the produce section. We just finished the alphabet game and went shopping there. She knows exactly what to look for, where. SW on the other hand... was frustrated to the point of tears cuz he couldn't find something that starts with "U."
"It's not fair, daddy!"
NN...being the loving sister... finished her challenge, picked up SW's basket and helped out her little brother. I grabbed SW's hand and started up and down the aisle with him... while he tried to hide his tears. Awwwww.... my baby. =(
What does a father do at that point?? You turn yourself into the common enemy... so they forget they're competing against each other. The final FINAL challenge... find 5 things, that begin the first letters of my name.
They had so much fun... they were planning the next Scavenger Hunt, which happened to be today. I pick them up from Summer Camp and they wanted to head to Target to "play that game." I thought SW meant he wanted to play with the Nintendo Switch there. Turns out.. .they've been jonesing for another round of scavenger hunt. I was running on near Empty already... didn't have the energy and focus to do this. And boy was it taxing....
Target is so big... I easily lost them. It was almost irresponsible. NN is borderline old enuf... but SW??? And the store is sooooo big, they didn't know where to go to find things. Once again... two years make the biggest difference. I ended up giving SW a lot of advice. He really didn't know where to start looking... but wander aimlessly up and down the aisles. So I said, "Where do you see a lot of gift cards?" "Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!!" And then "Pixar DVD". "Where do you see a lot of DVD's?" Immediately... it clicked and he ran to the DVD section. Poor guy... he doesn't know what Pixar means.
Once again... NN won. BUt as we were walking out... NN started saying that, "One thing I found out, there are signs above each aisle that give you clues." SW said, "I didn't use those clues." NN responded, "I didn't either, until it realized how much easier it was."
Who knew... this little game... is actually a school of hard knocks.
And dad.... I was exhausted.
