The family that bowls together...

Nate's parents and sister were here last weekend for a visit.  We spent a lot of time hanging out together, including trips to the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill to see Elmo and Big Bird in One World, One Sky - a full planetarium show aimed to please the youngest and most short-attentioned kids. 

After the show, we headed to our local bowling alley.  Luke has been practicing his bowling skills on the Wii, and has been talking about going back to the bowling alley since we went in January.  As with most new or loud things, we knew Will was likely not to like the bowling alley.  But with so many of us around, we figured that he would do alright.

And he actually did alright!  Will still does not love bowling.  He doesn't love the sounds or the smells of the alley.  He doesn't love pushing the ball down the ramp.  What he does love is playing with his toys while surrounded by his loving and laughing family.  And he really loves singing songs with Grammy and having her shake her groove thing in bowling shoes.

Luke loved bowling.  He loved seeing his name up on the screen.  He loved when it was his turn.  He loved the bumpers and the metal guide to push his ball down.  He loved counting how many pins each person knocked down, and reminding them of how many were left to get a spare.  He loved cheering when someone got a strike.  More than anything, he liked to organize the balls in the ball return and ordering Matthew not to touch anything. 

As long as Luke wasn't too bossy, Matthew also had a good time bowling.  He enjoyed his little green and black toddler bowling shoes.  He enjoyed pushing the balls down the ramp, but didn't really care about anything after that except getting another ball.  He enjoyed picking up any ball, regardless of its weight, and trying to chuck it down the bowling lane (his or any other lane around him).  More than anything, he enjoyed the looks on our faces when he dropped an 11 pound ball on the floor and tried to chase it down the (heavily waxed and extremely slippery) lane.

It was a good time.  All 3 of my kids topped my bowling score, which is not surprising to anyone who has ever bowled with me.  I am a lifetime 80 bowler.  I go for the atmosphere, not the competition.  I go to take pictures of familial hi-fives and document little thumbs ups after strikes.  I go to watch my husband (who **was not** on a bowling team with his own embroidered shirt and bowling ball bag) flex his bowling muscles and show the boys how its really done. I go because togetherness is awesome, and watching our family laugh and play is really what its all about.