Family Fun Night

Tonight is Family Fun Night. It's a tradition in our house, one that tops the list of the kids favourite activities.

We start by declaring, the louder the better: "IT'S FAMILY FUN NIGHT!! Get your pyjamas on!!" This usually is followed by a bunch of silliness as we prepare for the event.

Tonight we warmed up by wrestling in bed, ending in an almost-black eye for me. "When you tickle me my feet just move," says my younger son. I guess it was my fault...sort of.

We then went straight into ordering pizza, blasting each other with pillows, playing I-spy (I won!), jumping on the bed, running around the room, and giggling over a few unruly moments while pj's slipped off someone's wee derriere.

The pizzas arrived just as we were setting up the Simpsons. We had a pizza eating contest (I lost) and devoured four episodes of Bart, Lisa and Apu, who ended up happy with his arranged married.

Tonight is Maple Story Family Fun Night, and the kids are teaching me how to play Maple Story, an online role playing game. I am going to be a magician.

Every Family Fun Night is different. Sometimes we camp out in our living room. Sometimes we go for bike rides. Sometimes we tell stories or watch movies or go to the theatre or make sushi or play pool or cards or dice or marbles. Sometimes we just goof off and take lots and lots of silly pictures of each other.

It's a pretty organic event that unfolds naturally, uniquely every time. But we always stick together, put on our pyjamas, and let the usual rules slide a bit further than normal.

It's really just about spending good quality time together. And that definitely warrants getting silly every once in a while... even if it means a black eye.