Are Twelve Twenty-Somethings Smarter than a Single 5th Grader?

((I keep myself entertained, even while pumping gas))

Y'all really,... I hate to brag, but I've had theee best New Years extended weekend. Way better than I expected it to be - so to 2010, keep up the good work buddy. You're sucking way less than 2009.

New Years Eve is hands down my favorite pseudo-holiday. It's just one of those kind of nights. It's just about friends and family coming together - it's not about the truckloads of presents or slaving away in the kitchen all day. Everyones in this weird, hopeful, happy trance as we wish upon the clock for the best year yet.

This year, we did another bonfire at LyLa & her hubby's house out in Henry (read: Boondocks) - it's the second year that we've done our NYE thing there. There's something about their house that feels like home. Maybe its the fact that LyLa alwaaaays has something amazing cooked up (Seriously. This time around it was 4 types of homemade kolaches, 2 types of brownies, and some sort of cheese dip in a a heated dip bowl that looked like a Sombrero...don't even ask on the last bit). Maybe it's all the puppies and Mama Cat running around and snuggling up in your lap. Or it's possibly the fact that if you decide last minute to spend the night, there are a pair of pajama pants and a blanket waiting for you on the couch. Maybe it's all of that plus a few other things that have MTher and I begging for LyLa to adopt us. Like I said... It just feels like home. And theres no where else I would have rather spent my last day of 2009.

The night started off with grand ideas of a bon fire (real logs! no pallets!) complete with s'mores - but at 10 minutes 'til midnight it started raining and everyone headed in to the kitchen. As we stood around the kitchen - everyone still catching up with each other - someone turned on the TV in the other room and the countdown began. It made me laugh to myself... we all counted down with a little less enthusiasm than normal and as the clock struck 12, the room was oddly silent. Everyone lined the kitchen cabinets, arms crossed or holding their drink close to their chest, eyes darting around the room and finally resting on the floor. Then someone said what we were all thinking.... "Man.... we're getting old." A bunch of twenty somethings.... feeling old. What a way to bring in 2010.

As if feeling "old" wasn't enough - we added insult to injury and gathered around LyLa & D's new TV (hello gorgeous!) and attempted to play "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" on the Wii. Turns out...we're not.

Oh man - we were awful! We had the med student guessing at 5th grade health, the MBA student trying to help, and a draftsman attempting 2nd grade measurements. Finally, we just started yelling out the first answer we saw and hoped it was right.

Education FAIL.


Me + Mel


SKing + Me


We ♥ Woodchuck


Sadly, we are not smarter.