Horse "back" riding

At dinner every night we sit around the table and one by one we each answer two questions. The first question is: What was the best part about your day? The second is: What was the worst part of your day? The answers to these questions often give us a clear picture of the highs and lows for each and everyone around the table. You know, you can real tell a lot about a person by listening to their highs and lows. It creates a pretty clear picture of where their mindset is. It can also be pretty funny.

Graham still seems to be more interested in telling stories. The best part of his day is always something that really happened. It is tangible. I.e. The best part of my day was swimming in the pool with Mommy and Daddy. The worst part of Graham's Day always seems to be something totally fictional - and, quite possible disgusting. It might be something like: "I was swinging between the buildings like Spiderman on my way to target. I saw two bad guys so I got 'em with my light sabre but I accidentally chopped my arm off." I guess as long as he has to make up a bad part of his day I think we are doing a pretty good job of raising a pretty happy kiddo, even if he does leave gross imagery floating around in your head.

Ainsley, on the other hand, seems to follow a different pattern. The best part of her day always seem to by copied from someone else at the table. On more creative days she might even go out on a limb and say that the best part of her day was playing. What is most funny is the worst part of Ainsley's day which falls into two categories. Either the worst part of her day was not spending enough time with Mommy and Daddy (this is a standard twerp suck-up answer designed at getting the parents softened up for ice cream after dinner.) or, more likely, the worst part of her day is a series of diatribes describing the endless abuses she sustained at Graham's hands. She just completely unloads. She mentions every thing she can think of. "The worst part of my day is when Graham pushed my out of the chair and then we he took my kinex away and then he hit me and when he wouldn't share with me and then when we took my blanky and when he hit me on my back and when he pushed me off the floaty boat." She truly makes it sound like she is the abused little step sister but she often forgets that she instigates the vast majority of these incidents. She simply loves trying to get him in trouble.

Last night was a little different without Sydney and while the worst part of all of our days were that Sydney was not there. We tried to imagine what the best part of Sydney's day was. I thought she probably went swimming. Others thought she may have gone fishing. Lynley thought she probably went horseback riding. Graham took to that immediately. That must be what Sydney was doing. How cool was that? He started imagining and describing how Sydney was riding the horse. He was excited. All of a sudden he stopped. "Why is she sitting on the horse backwards?" - Graham 2008

Can you figure out why?

She was horse back riding. Lynley and I had a thorough laugh. Playing best and worst often ends that way.

It is also a great way to see your purpose.