For my Christmas present to all the nieces and nephews this year, I planned a bowling party. Their enthusiasm and shenanigans, including lots of silly performances following strikes and spares, kept us in stitches. Compared to the last time they all bowled together in the summer of 2018, they’re all so dang big now. They still used the bumpers, but nobody needed the assist ramp to roll the ball onto the lane. There were no hissy fits or tears among the losers, and we could send them to the counter on their own to return their shoes. Perhaps the most dramatic change was when they all went to hug me at once, I was legitimately scared I would fall over. I guess that’s more a reflection on my aging than theirs!

July 20, 2018

December 28, 2022