bowling.

the kids were invited to a church friend’s bowling birthday party this week.  they’d never been bowling before and i wasn’t exactly sure how they’d like it.  maybe the ball would be too heavy (i only remember the 8 lb ball being the lightest one as a kid), maybe they wouldn’t be able roll it hard enough to get all the way down the alley, maybe they’d want to be done halfway through.  turns out, they both loved it and had a great time!  especially my boy mikey who couldn’t get enough of it.

who says frilly pink skirts aren’t proper bowling attire?

mikey’s feet were too small (size 11) for the smallest bowling shoe (size 12).

but he preferred to wear his own shoes, anyway.

no one taught him that awesome bowling technique, by the way.  it was in him all along.

go baby, go!

“slow and steady wins the race…”

the ball had just barely enough oomph left to gently tap down a few pins.

YES!!!

“mommy, are you watching me?”

“cuz here i go!”

this metal contraption was a lifesaver.  allie couldn’t roll the ball hard enough to get it all the way down the alley.  it got stuck in the middle and the worker guy had to go and retrieve it.  thankfully he acted like this kind of thing happens all the time.  🙂

cuz even with the metal contraption, it took a good while to get that ball down the alley.

headed straight for the kingpin.  i only just today learned that the kingpin is the center pin in the triangular arrangement of ten pins.  it baffles me how i’ve gone through thirty-three years of life not knowing that.

her ball also had just enough oomph left to gently knock down eight pins.

her second go at it.

momentarily distracted by her fellow bowler.

but her attention returned just in time to see…

a spare!!  not that she knew what a spare was.  she jumped like this whether she knocked down one pin or ten.  they all got the same reaction.

crazily enough, allie broke 100!  both my kids apparently can school me in bowling.

meanwhile, lauren was happy hanging out at the table next to the snacks.

mikey kept right on bowling even after lunch was served.  he bowled everyone’s turns for them while the girls took their lunch break.

“mommy!  i got a strike!!”  (ok, so it was really a spare, but it was all the same to him).

“hey lauren, can you look at mommy?”

“how about a smile for mommy?”

“gotcha, ya little stinker!”

and what happens when there are too many kids bowling at the same time?  and they may or may not have sent two balls down the lane at the same time?

the big, burly staff guy is what happens.

like how my boy hightails it outta there?

and leaves the two little skirt-wearing munchkins to fend for themselves?

but look!  the big, burly staff guy turns out to be nice! so mikey gingerly reenters the scene.

but still keeps close to the two skirt-wearing munchkins.

and what bowling party is complete without a little pity party thrown in?

the end.

ps- happy birthday, jared!  thank you for inviting us, we had a GREAT time!  🙂