“Daddy how many stars do you have?” Jack asked.
“3,” I replied.
“I have 9 zillion thousand infinity and beyonds!”
Charlie rode his scooter next to Jack’s big wheel. “And I have ten thousand!” His eyes opened really wide like I had never heard a number that big.
We were racing in circles around the cul-de-sac and playing a game. The first one to 19 stars wins. You get a star by going fast. Somehow my 4 year old became the judge of who gets a star and he was very generous.
Jack was constantly asking how many stars he had so he could keep straight who was in the lead, who was second, and who was in last place. Charlie made sure he always stayed in the lead, that Jack was a close second, and that Daddy lost. They were gleeful.
The best part, though, was when I chased them. I was on rollerblades and I could catch up to them in seconds. They would squeal with delight and redouble their efforts to go faster. They had no chance. Daddy was unrelenting. The tickle machine was coming no matter what you did.
As we finally headed back to our driveway, I realized that I had left my phone back at the house. It had been almost an hour since I checked my email. It was the best hour of my week.