Silence Is Golden

In the car today, I asked the kids to have some "quiet time" until we got home. Very often our trips to and fro (which are numerous these days) involve me being held hostage to constant questions, song requests, and bickering from the back seat. While I accept this as part of being a mother, sometimes a girl just needs some peace and quiet! Catelynn requested special permission to use her thumb as a method of silence (which I gladly granted), and Wesley also became pensive. When we were almost home (notice the almost!), Wesley asked for some help with a simple calculation: "Mommy, what's three times three?" With some curiosity, I solved his riddle, which launched him into a discourse on the game he had created during these last 5-10 minutes.

According to his telling, there would be 3 teams of 3, each team with a leader. He would need to invite 9 friends, strike that 8 friends, since he would be the ninth participant. I'm still unclear on the details and rules, but it involved his umbrella (which was conveniently located within eye sight). There was something about each team trying to get under said umbrella, while the other teams, I believe, were getting wet during some kind of unfortunate downpour. Once the game had been set up (well, sort of), Wesley commenced planning the guest list. By the time the eighth group member had been selected, we were home, and he ran inside to record the list for later invitation making. In the mean time, the teams had grown to four, which meant there would be 12 names (11 excluding himself), a recalculation he managed completely on his own. Carefully he wrote down each name as I dictated the correct spellings. They were neatly grouped in threes, with some kind of squiggly line drawn to delineate each group. Finally, he titled the project "Play Friends," then seamlessly moved on to his next activity.

I wonder what he would come up with if I didn't let him talk all the way to school tomorrow!