My husband tells me this all too frequently. It’s pretty frustrating because I don’t really consider myself that serious but as I reflect on the last few days with my family, I realize we all need to lighten up. We can be 4 people behaving like we’ve just downed a case of Four Loko. If you aren’t familiar with that, may I take this opportunity to ask you to NOT familiarize yourself with it. Ever. 
My daughter has taken a liking to Jeopardy and going to bed at 9pm. Now when it is that she decided to become 70 is a mystery to me but I have started joining her in sitting down at 7:30 to listen to Alex Trebek use fake accents and his annoying worldly knowledge. I usually win (I know, lighten up) but that’s because I’ve got 20 years of additional trivial garbage between my ears. My winning irritates her and so Jeopardy has become a little thorn in her side but I can’t not shout out my answers and resist holding up my fingers with each correct confirmation. I’m obnoxious.
Last night, my son and husband joined in. Both are competitive. When Devon answered a question correctly (albeit a little too specifically), Nick laughed and remarked she wasn’t getting a point for that. I’ll fast forward here and skip the details but let’s just say we got 2 questions into a game show before multiple people left the room. Game over.
As a family, we have a tough time keeping it light. It’s just our DNA. Irish/German ancestry met Italian/Cuban ancestry and the perfect storm of volatility, impatience and tenacity was born. United, we are insanely overpowering. As our own opponents, though, watch out. An overcrowded daycare has nothing on us in terms of screaming and kicking our feet on the floor.
We need to lighten up. Sometimes we do…though not often.
If you happened to be a fly on the wall last night, this whole scenario may have seemed a little ridiculous and, in truth, it was. But this morning no one cared. It’s not like we all woke up and were still holding on to the argument; rather, we all woke up and decided it’s Trebek’s fault. Duh.
Have a really light day, friends.
Amy
My beautiful children are all grown and flew the coop! But oh how I remember those times with love! xo
Ours flew the coop, too, but return for the excitement from time to time. LOL
Outstanding.
Thanks! Tell the truth….you actually visualized it in your minds eye, didn’t you? The whole clan just losing control over here. 🙂