Happy Birthday, Paul!

Today the PA local Strayers gathered to celebrate Pauly's 14th birthday. The kid made out pretty good - scored a lot of dough!

The highlight of the day, however, was a little game we all played called "Last Word". Let me lay out the premise of the game: It's similar to Scattegories, but no writing. Each player receives a "subject card". The card might read something like, "The name of a store" or "Things about Thanksgiving". The the "co-ordinator" (Big Stevie) would reveal a new letter each round and start a randomly timed timer upon the start of each new round. The person to call out the last appropriate word before the timer sounds "wins" that round. Here are some highlights:

1. Aunt Kathy - The round was for names of stores that start with "D". Halfway thru the round, Aunt Kathy screams "Walnuts!". No idea. Also, when the letter "P" was announced, she emphatically offered up her subject as the round, which was "Things made of paper". She immediately answered, "PAPER!!!" Interesting.

2. Aunt Mare - Apparently she had some trouble thinking of her own answers, because after anyone said a word, she'd follow up with the same word, only LOUDER and FASTER as though she just thought of it herself. We called her Jimmy Two Times today.

3. My Mother - Aunt Gini's strategy was to immediately volunteer her subject, even if she didn't have an answer for that letter yet. She "strategically" would very slowly announce the subject on her card, trying to give herself enough time to think of an answer. She actually thought we couldn't tell what she was doing. Hilarious.

4. Aunt Donna - Poor AD, after about 10 rounds we hear, "I HAVEN'T WON ONE SINGLE ROUND!" She "pouted". But then she scored some wicked points.

5. Pauly - Now, don't get me wrong, he had some GREAT answers. For example during "Things about Thanksgiving (letter "S") he shouts out "Saturated Fat!". Touche! However, when he was first to announce the subject, he never, ever, ever declared the subject, only his answer. So then you had 6 Strayers staring at him with a dumb face wondering, "Huh?" until he realized he didn't tell us the subject. This happened NO LESS than 20 times. You'd think he'd learn, but...he is a Strayer.

Some other highlights - Aunt Kathy talked to (not by ear, but by eyes) to my Mom's blackberry phone because "well I thought it was a little TV!" she said. Wow. Also - when Dayna didn't answer the phone on the first call, she pondered, "Where is Dayna!? She always answers her phone??" Then my mom says to her, "Maybe she's in the shower?" and AK looks like she totally understands now, as she nods & declares, "Yes...it is Saturday..." WHAT!?!?!?

All in all - a classic day. Bubbers wore some awesome new Nike's and was kissed no less than 4,000 times by middle-aged Strayer women fighting for him incessantly. Poor kid!

I absolutely LOVE our family.