Eliball

Playing games with Eli is like Calvinball. Yesterday, for example, we were playing "slugbug" (where you point out VW bugs to earn points...we don't "slug" in the McCall version) in the car and here's how it went:

Mom: Slugbug! (We were three to three at this point. Seems there were a lot of VW bugs on the road yesterday)

Eli: You lost a point because you said "Slugbug." You have to just say "Slug."

Mom: No, that's not how we play. I have three and you have three. (A few seconds pass.)

Eli: Slugbug!

Mom: Eli, that's the same one I just called. You can't call it again.

Eli: No, if you call it, then I can call it again.

Mom: Eli, that's not how we play the game. We're still three to three. (A few more minutes go by) Slugbug!

Eli: Mom you can't call that one because it's black. We drive a black car so you can't call black slugbugs.

Mom: Yes, I can. Now we're four to three.

Eli: Well, once you get to four, the other person gets seven. So now we're seven to four. But it's okay, Mom, because later you'll have ten and I'll have seven.

I gave up after that and decided that a lesson on changing the rules so he could win was really cheating. I'm sure I will only have to go over that once, right? Eli is always so open for those learning moments and only has to hear them once.

I'll go wake up Eli for the day when I stop falling off my chair laughing.