You know how kids are...

Who was I talking to the other day, about being a kid and obsessed with nintendo?

Well, thanks to that conversation I got a chuckle during my last run.

I was again thinking about nintendo and the wild fascination us kids felt for Mario and his fire-spitting powers.  I can still sing the theme music and actually prefer the looming tune played when you braved the lava-filled lower layers.  Oh and remember the sound when you'd go down the pipes?  WAW, waw, waw... 

Oh boy we could play for hours.

I couldn't help but smile when I remember my babysitting adventures with Steph and Stace.

I was never the best babysitter and didn't get many of the jobs around town and totally didn't care.  Kids are kinda annoying but you may pay me to keep them alive.  Don't expect any perks.  But when I began watching Steph and Stace, who were more buddies than rugrats, babysitting became tolerable.  Even fun!  We played the piano, sang loudly (and awesomely), made up stupid jokes that made us pee our pants, ruined meals in the microwave, make-overs GALORE and even performed skits with dramatic deaths and romantic twists...

You shoulda been there.  We had a blast.

One memory in particular I will always love.

Steph and Stace had a nintendo in the basement.  Me, being the cool babysitter and a few years older, appeared so talented as I conquered all the "hard" levels...  We would sit on their white, fur rug and take turns while the others huddled and cheered.

One day we were firm and focused.  -determined to get beyond the current level when something small and black dropped onto my shorts.

I jumped.  Steph jumped.  Stace jumped.

Everybody screamed.

A carpenter ant had just fallen from the ceiling.  Seriously.

We giggled and shrugged and returned to the game.

Another drop.

Then another...

It was one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced.  Every, maybe 8-15 seconds, these huge ants were falling to the floor.  Seriously!

Now, you'd think that we'd call someone.  Let someone know that something really strange was happening that might just be a real problem but no.

You see, that Mario music was humming softly from the tv and you know how kids are with their nintendos...

Miss you Steph and Stace.

love, your big, fabulous sis.