Table Topics

I had a bad morning. The kind where we're sitting in sacrament meeting and Greg leans over and whispers, "Smile." Grumpy was written all over my face. My crankiness was a little soothed by the end of church, only to get rumpled all over again once we got home. When we finally sat down to dinner this afternoon (you know how Sundays are - dinner is just sometime after church) I was on my last nerve. My outward demeanor was rather calm, but inside I was on fire.

So we're eating dinner and I had set our table topics on the table. These little cards are the best. My friend Heidi got them a long time ago and convinced me I should get some too. I think they're pricey - I paid $20 for them on Amazon. They've been worth every penny. The concept is simple. On each card is a conversation starter. These little cards have prompted some of the best conversations around our dinner table. We've learned great insights about each other and had some really good laughs. Today, the table topics saved my mood.

The first card was, "Would you rather be spanked or grounded." We learned that Kate and Aaron would much rather be spanked because it gets it over with. So therefore, I learned that I need to ground them more often. Holly piped in "I would just paint my own backside red so that mom and dad wouldn't have to do anything." This got me laughing - my bad mood was shrinking.

The next card read, "In order of importance, how would you rank happiness, money, freedom, and love?" We all agreed that love and happiness go hand in hand. It was fun to see how my kids as well as Greg and I viewed this question.

The last one we discussed this afternoon was "When you're having a bad day, what do you do to feel better?" Ah, how fitting. Kate and Aaron talked about how they punched pillows, screamed into pillows, and kicked pillows. (Poor pillows!) Kate also kept saying she would just decide to have a good day instead. We talked about having good attitudes. I felt like a total hypocrite because I had been so cranky. I said that when I have a really bad day, I'll go into my room and say a prayer. "Just like you did, like three times already today, mom?" Kate immediately said. So they noticed. If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. This discussion was just what my attitude needed - a swift kick to the head! The grumpy monster is gone and the nice mom is back. Thank goodness.

The table topics are the best. My kids love them as much as me. There are several editions on Amazon, we have the family set. The next to cards in the que, "When is it ok to lie?" and "What is your idea of the perfect birthday dinner?" I better start thinking!

ps. In case you're wondering, I am technically not a spanking mom, but I am not perfect. And no, I've never painted anyone's backside red.