The Quiet Game

The quiet game should be part of the Olympics and my kids should be the first to compete, because no one, and I mean no one, is better at this game than them….

First off, when driving down the road and my darling children are louder than speeding locomotive, you can suggest they play the quiet game. Soon after you say the word “start” you will forget the number of children sitting in the back of the car. You will literally be able to hear a pin drop inside your car. This is usually the only time I use the quiet game, I wouldn't want to wear out this "quiet time".

However, Monday I just happen to go home for some clean clothes to bring back to the Ronald McDonald house and I checked the answering machine, hmmm Dani has a Doctors appointment in an hour (I completely forgot about this, imagine that). So I load all the kids up and head to the doctors’ office, completely unprepared for the long wait. This long wait got to the kids when we were sitting in the exam room so I suggested the quiet game; this was also when I decided it needed to be an Olympic event with my children.

First we had to decide what we are playing for… I suggested a ride home; looser(s) would run behind the car…. The kids decided the chocolate sucker in my pocket was a better prize.

So we start. I decided to add a little more challenge to the game and sat there asking question after question, didn’t work. Tried funny faces, no luck. Tried being quiet then a surprise “serious” questions, nope, not a peep out of any of them…. Then the Dr came in and commented on how quiet everyone was being, I explained the quiet game and he said, with confidence, that he could make them crack. So he started in, first trying to examine the wrong kid, then went on to asking questions, he tried to cut out of our conversation from time to time and asking one of them a off the wall question, but still no talking. Finally in his last effort he asked the kids who didn’t want shots today, still not one of them said a word. “alright” he said while finishing up his paperwork, then turned around pointing and counting each child and as he walked out of the room shaking his head he said “that will be a round of shots for everyone”.

Still not a word from any of my kids! I ended up having to find 3 more chocolate suckers, they all just happened to be wrapped in gold foil.