Today I decided to teach The Munch to play hide and seek.  She would count to 20 with my friend, while I hid in some amazing spot like in the bathtub with a rug over me.  Come to think of it, she was actually really bad at finding me.  Even if I was standing in the laundry basket with a sweatshirt over my head she would walk by 7 times and only discover my presence because I was laughing.

When she did finally find me, she would be so happy and excited it was worth smelling like dusty carpets and my sweaty socks.  But then rather than wanting me to hide again in a new spot, she would want me to hide where I was.

Munch: “Mamma, you hide in the under the couch again. Then I will come find you.”

Toni: “But Munch, then you will already know where I am hiding.  Don’t you want to actually seek me out? You know, like hide and ‘seek?’”

Munch: “No you hide here again!”

Toni: “Munch, it is so much more fun when you don’t know where I am going to be and you have to find me.  Then you get surprised when you actually see where I was! That is the game!”

I never fully convinced her, but she did play along because I am the boss and we do what I say.  Then it was The Munch’s turn to hide.

“Mamma, I am going to go hide in the porch.  Right here okay?”

Of course I pretended to look for her, but man this kid is really sucky at hide and seek.

But I learned a valuable life lesson, and that is all I really care about – me learning more about me.  I realized that anticipation is the beauty mark of life.  Much like a strategically placed mole on your face, not knowing how things are going to turn out is what makes it magnificent.