Rotten Eggs

James and Owen are getting competitive. They play Buffalo (football) regularly, and Owen always ends up in tears. In Owen's own words, "James scores all the field goals, and I don't know how to score any field goals because he won't tell me how." Their assumption that you can only score in three-point increments is a mark of proof that these children watch a lot of Bills football. I've watched them play, and Owen is right. Whenever James gets the buffalo (the football) he prances into whatever corner of the room he's decided is his scoring area, and declares that he's scored a field goal. Owen, when he manages to get his hands on the buffalo, gets so excited that he just immediately throws it into the air and tries to tackle James. (Fact: Owen is way better at tackling than James.) But he never scores any points, because he doesn't know where his field goal is, and James won't tell him.

There's more than just football, of course. There are also complicated games like Chase, Bulldozer, Kick the Ball, Keep the Balloon in the Air, Pillow Fight, and Knock Down. It would take way too long to explain all the rules to these games. But they are all played regularly and competitively.

But most of all, there is the desire Not to Be the Rotten Egg. You can be the Rotten Egg at any moment. For instance, if it's time to go upstairs and brush teeth before bed, someone can should "LAST ONE UPSTAIRS IS A ROTTEN EGG!" And then, regardless of personal safety or other pedestrians, both boys elbow each other in a frantic race up the stairs.

Other Rotten Egg situations include Last Person to the Supper Table, Last Person to get their shoes on, Last Person to throw all of their stuffed animals onto the couch, Last Person to run into the bathroom, Last Person to climb to the top bunk, and Last Person brush their teeth.

There are often hurt feelings with the Rotten Egg game. Just this afternoon I found Owen in a collapsed and sobbing mess at the bottom of the stairs. I asked him if he had fallen or if something was wrong.

"No, James beat me upstairs, so I am a Wotten Egg!"
I offered to race him up the stairs again, and it turned out that I was the Rotten Egg. I was also the last person to hop in bed with the book they wanted for naptime. He might catch onto my trick at some point.