The Clatter of Hippos

My folks bought a last minute gift for the girls which turned into a huge piece of childhood nostalgia for me. When I was talking to my brother on the phone yesterday, I told him what they bought and he started howling with laughter and said “Mum bought that???”
That game, which my Mum hated when we were kids because my brother and I would play it for hours on end. We yelled, added the marbles from the Chinese checkers game and clattered and banged away for hours. Maybe it’s a revenge thing.

That’s right…

Hungry Hungry Hippos.

This morning we pulled it out of the box, set it all up and clattered away for a good ½ an hour. It was just as noisy and just as much fun as I remembered and I haven’t lost my touch after all these years. Hehe. Baboo loved it because she could play too and was pretty good at it. Of course, she still wants to put the marbles in her mouth, but we’re working on it. Maybe she thinks she’s one of the hungry hippos?? Mouse has claimed the pink Hippo as her own and Hubster feels a particular affinity for the one named “Homer” – the green one I think.

I see many noisy hours ahead of us and maybe I’ll be like my Mum and eventually hide it because if I have to hear that clattering banging for one more minute I’ll shove a hot poker in my eyeball, but for now, its’ fun. And for the record, I don’t know what happened to the old game we used to have.

Speaking of my Mum, despite our best hopes, she was really not well all day yesterday. She got up to open gifts with us, but then spent most of the rest of the day in bed resting. Apparently stomach bugs are going around this holiday – poor Mir over at Woulda Coulda Shoulda was in the hospital.

Mum is feeling wiped from being through the wringer, but a bit better today. We held off our roast Beast until today and had Chinese last night. I’ve just put the beef in the oven, have the potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, for green beans with almonds and brown butter (yum), Dad’s homemade pickled beets, and pumpkin pie for dessert waiting in the wings.

I’m watching Polar Express with Mouse while Baboo and Mum are resting and generally we’re all taking it easy today, but I have a feeling things will be getting a leeetle bit noisier once everyone is up again. (clacka, clacka, wacka, wacka, clack, bang)