How Snowquester improved my acting skills

Last week, Tucker’s school was closed for the slush-mess that often passes for snow here in Northern Virginia. Same goes for Robert’s and my work places. Which meant that the three of us were home, hanging out, trying to find ways other than the TV to engage little dude. Perhaps you’re thinking that a snow-day is a perfect excuse to, uh, I don’t know, play in the snow, build a snowman and maybe even make a snow fort. That’s what I’d have thought, too. Except this snow is nasty. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’s an official name for it and that the name is not snow.

Here, see?

This crap is so not snow. See how it’s also raining? Annoying.

For most of the day, it was dumping this weird combination of rain and snow continually. It was just gross. And annoying. So, rather than experiencing this imagined bliss:

HappySnow1

Playing in it would have looked more like this:

SadSnow1

Tucker’s lips would have turned blue had we braved the nastiness. So we stayed indoors. By 10:30am, I had run out of ideas for amusing him. I should mention that Robert let me sleep in, which I did until 9:30. Yeah, I had good ideas for an entire hour. I know. I’m impressed with me too.

I had to learn pretty quickly to become an awesome actress. When Tucker wants another game of chase and says (in his adorable and funky word-rendering little-boy voice) “Ready? Set! Go!,” I’m totally proud. But let’s face it. After about two 28 times of chasing him around the table over and over while pretending to continually be surprised that he’s hiding in his “Castle,” it gets old.

Am I the asshole who tells a delayed three year old that his game is boring? Duh. No way. Here’s about how it went.

Although I’m thinking to myself that Tucker’s chase game is getting a bit tiring and that it’d be much more fun for me to hide under a blanket on the couch until he finds me, I realize the importance of providing him with a loving, nurturing mom who is willing to chase him for hours. Here’s the way it actually went down:

I got the tiara for being such an awesome actress. Tucker got a crown for being Tucker.

by Kristi Campbell

25 comments

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Stephanie @ Mommy, for real. - Oh my God, I am giggling my ass off. You know I feel your pain on the whole chase thing. Your comment about being the asshole who tells a delayed 3 year old that his game is boring and the pictures that followed totally cracked me up. Yeah, your post was funny, whereas mine was only marginally helpful. 😉

And that snow looks like crap. Sucky.March 13, 2013 – 10:15 amReplyCancel
- admin - Stephanie, your post was totally helpful! Mine? Not even trying to be helpful. And yeah, the snow really sucked. I had such great hopes for sledding. Didn’t happen.March 13, 2013 – 10:18 amReplyCancel
Janine Huldie - I want to share that Tiara, because I do this constantly all day long times two with both my girls who do many of the same things over and over again Kristy. Seriously could so relate and this is so my life, too!!! 🙂March 13, 2013 – 10:20 amReplyCancel
- admin - Janine, I’ll have to draw you your own tiara! 😀March 13, 2013 – 10:36 amReplyCancel
Emily - You so make me laugh…who knew that part of our parenting role would also include being good actors? Those thought bubbles cracked me up. On the days when I remember to nag the boys to take showers and feed everyone dinner before 8pm, I deserve that tiara too!!March 13, 2013 – 12:13 pmReplyCancel
- admin - OMG with three of them, you totally deserve that tiara every day!March 13, 2013 – 1:36 pmReplyCancel
Shay - I love this!! I completely understand it, too–and I think it’s the sweetest thing that you spent all day “playing chase,” as I like to call it. (We do a lot of that around here, too 🙂 ) You’re a wonderful mom!March 13, 2013 – 1:20 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Thanks so much, Shay! 😀 We actually call it playing chase as well, but I thought that might sound weird to my readers. I should have known.March 13, 2013 – 1:37 pmReplyCancel
Kerri - Ha! That sounds like our house. Luckily I have Allie to chase Boo, but even that gets old in about 3.4 seconds!March 13, 2013 – 1:42 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Ugh, can you PLEASE send Allie right over, red rover? Please?March 13, 2013 – 10:02 pmReplyCancel
Kenya G. Johnson - I love how you can tell the mommy drawing is jogging in place. Or is it because mom’s just KNOW the mommy is jogging in place? LOL!!! I have to tell Christopher over and over that I just don’t get videos games. That’s him and dad. I don’t like them, I can’t do them and I think there boring. What does he say, “Awww c’mon mom just try it.” What do I do? I try it, and I make myself worse than I know I am.March 13, 2013 – 4:37 pmReplyCancel
- admin - I think mom radar just knows. Too funny that you make yourself worse in video games than you actually are. Hey! Wanna trade? ‘Cause I actually sort of like (some) video games. Ones Christopher’s never heard of and that I haven’t played in 20 years. Okay. Maybe not.March 13, 2013 – 10:03 pmReplyCancel
Mama Meerkat - Yeah, that is definitely not snow. But on the bright side, at least you don’t have much to shovel.

We play chase too!March 13, 2013 – 6:08 pmReplyCancel
- admin - True! We didn’t have to shovel at all this time. A broom on the cars and we were done.
  
  Is chase universal? 🙂March 13, 2013 – 10:04 pmReplyCancel
Jen - That was totally Isaiah’s favorite game FOREVER, seriously, my knees were about to blow out when he finally stopped. Phew. Why am I here? I could be putting him to sleep and then I could come back and stalk you for real!March 13, 2013 – 8:43 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Hahahah. Put him to sleep. Come stalk me but in the nicest way.March 13, 2013 – 10:05 pmReplyCancel
Courtney - Ha! So true! I used to HATE snow days with the kids because of the repetition. It’s so much easier now, and lots of fun, especially since they love to read. It will get easier, someday. Glad you found your inner actress. You are a rockstar mom!March 13, 2013 – 10:28 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Ugh, Courtney, I actually used to love them but now that Tucker’s old enough to be, well, hard to entertain? They’re SO HARD. Ugh.
  Thanks for the awesome comment.March 13, 2013 – 10:57 pmReplyCancel
Rachel - You deserve an Academy Award! As long as you remember to thank me for reading this post. Warning: bad mom alert…I, on the other hand, deserve nothing. I tell Claire, “No. Mama is too old”.March 14, 2013 – 5:09 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Rachel! Thank you for reading this post! HAHAH that you tell Claire that you’re too old. I might have to try that. 😀March 14, 2013 – 6:03 pmReplyCancel
Joy - I am so glad I am not the only mom being fed up with playing games like chase…. sometimes I feel bad about that but not today, thanks to you! 🙂March 15, 2013 – 9:40 amReplyCancel
Misty@MeetTheCottons - since patty had her second sick day today, she, jt and i were all home. jt wanted me to help with build with the marble run thing we, i mean santa, gave them for christmas. never ever buy one of those things! think i worked on it for over an hour and still couldn’t get the marbles to race all over the place in an entertaining way. but, at least i didn’t have to chase anyone!March 19, 2013 – 9:12 pmReplyCancel
- admin - I remember reading that post of yours and feeling like “OMG we’re doing the same here!” Trying to build crap and failing. At least (you’re right) that you don’t have to play chase 😉March 19, 2013 – 11:42 pmReplyCancel
Rich Rumple - You deserve the tiara, for sure! I can remember endless hours of different games that made absolutely no sense, yet brought hours of enjoyment. Alas, the sacrifices are only temporary. Kids grow up and want their “personal” time. Enjoy it while you can!March 19, 2013 – 9:20 pmReplyCancel
- admin - So true, Rich…thanks for the reminder. I will be super sad when Tucker wants “personal time.” Sometimes, he already does and it’s a bummer. Luckily, it doesn’t last long.March 19, 2013 – 11:44 pmReplyCancel