The Foursome

Jack: "FORE! I just yelled 'fore.' I yelled 'fore' but there are NO other people here. " Mom: "Maybe you helped a duck though, because there could have been a duck over there." Jack: "Ya, there could have been a BIRD or something!" Scotty: "Mom, you didn't hit that one half bad." Mom: "Thanks. Jack, settle down, that isn't good golf etiquette." Dad: "Jack, you need to settle down, you need to stop moving your feet, you need..." Jack: "I NEED a better tee shot. I NEED some good golf swings. I NEED some self confidence!" Mom and Dad: "You have plenty of that." The golf outing my husband and I took with our 2 oldest son's this evening was quite memorable. They were in playful, fun, yet serious enough to golf moods. The scramble teams were Dad and Jack (The Purple Hippos) against Mom and Scotty (The Orange Penguins). My husband and I are learning. We're learning that in order to have fun with our kids we can't turn every outing into an instructional lesson. A tip here or there is warranted, but a full on lesson is not fun for them. We're learning that team names for some reason make all the difference in the world when it comes to having fun. We're learning that the offer of a dollar to the winner makes them try harder, and that is ok. We're learning that they are really fun and funny kids, especially when they are having fun with their parents. After the golf outing we made the boys try something new and headed to a tapas restaurant for dinner. To Scotty, it was "the best food in the world!" To Jack, well, Jack was very focused on constructing his new lego set that he just bought 10 seconds before with his own money, so I'm not sure he noticed what he was eating. During dinner my husband and I wanted to discuss a "healthy living plan" for our family. Scotty, who has begun to love competition, insisted I turn it into a quiz. So, for the duration of our meal I quizzed the boys on "which food is healthier... And which exercise is better..." It was quite fun and most importantly, the boys thought it was great too, and learned some healthy living habits. We are quite blessed parents. We get to have neat evenings out with our big boys, and today I get to swim and play with my little kids. Life is NEVER boring, always changing, and often fun. With still having a 2 year old, I have years of golf outings with purple hippos and orange penguins...or whoever!