Bowled Over

My family has recently taken up bowling. The big kids have been to a few bowling birthday parties and it's something we've always talked about doing as a family.

But I think Hot Guy and I had a hard time imagining bowling without pitchers of beer. I know some people manage to drink beer and parent their children, but I am not one of those people.

 Plus, it wasn't until fairly recently that HugMonkey was even big enough to hold a bowling ball.

But you know what? Our first experience was pretty fun. Even if Hot Guy and I did drink Diet Coke instead of beer.

At Lucky Strike's. It's like da club crossed with a bowling alley. 

In fact, we had so much fun that we went bowling again a few days later, on Hot Guy's next day off. HugMonkey isn't really a big fan, but he's perfectly happy to sit there and cheer us on if I give him my iPhone. Okay, HugMonkey would sit through a full-length opera if I gave him my iPhone, but he'll come around when he's a little older. 

Our next trip was to Brunswick Lanes, which is more like a regular bowling alley.

For our last game, we split into two teams - kids vs. parents. The kids had the bumpers up (greatest bowling related invention ever) but the parents did not. 

Have I mentioned that neither Hot Guy or I was ever good at bowling? Although we used to not embarrass ourselves in front of our friends. The same cannot be said for our children. 

They beat us. Lovebug and Ironflower kicked our asses in bowling. They are 6 and 7, people. I'm not sure how long this bowling as a family is going to last, given their skill and our lack of it. Although maybe next time Hot Guy and I should keep the bumpers up too - that might even things out. 

Just for the record, though, I think we all scored lower than I used to in my beer drinking days. So maybe the real answer is for all of us to have a beer?