Club Memberships

My children have always had "Clubs". I think it is a genetic thing i passed on to them. My sister Paige and I always had "The Key-Thing Buddies". We were "Toque-lee ONE" and "Toque-lee TWO". We collected old keys, and spare change, converted the chicken coop into a club house complete with purple spray-painted walls. (pictures of "muchkins" which were a big thing in the '80's) Any time a good thing happened (going for slushies, fort building, baking) we would claim that it was happening because we were in the Key-Thing Buddies club and the club was open that day.

My kids, and my sisters' kids have initiated scads of clubs over the years. Some "cousin" clubs even earned club cards that their cousin Haven made up with 2 aliases for each person. (quite the job to find 2 aliases for 19 cousins). She laminated little cards with the club members pictures on it. Very Cute. The fad recently has reached it's zenith with Sadie....and for a freshly minted 4 year old, clubs can be used as a bribe, a threat or a claim to fame just as much as a friendship builder.

"You're in my club."

"You're not in my club."

"My club is the BEST club than YOURS!"

"If you do that, you can't be the president OR the tiger in my club."

"When you give me ice-cream, you can be the Queen in my club."

"My club is cancelled."

"If you come to Robin's party, you can be in my club."

Mostly the reaction she gets are giggles or feigned fear from older siblings who know how easy it is to get back IN the club. Today, for some un-beknownst reason, being in Sadie's club involved the measuring of my scull. I sat patiently as she slowly and solomnly raised the wooden ruler to my head. And then i did something that Curt does to me. When she got close enough and was seriously concentrating, i scared her....

"BOOO!"

"Mom! Don't DO that or you won't be in the club!" I laughed and apologized. The measuring resumed. She came close. I could smell her shampoo.

"BAHHH!!" She recoiled in shock. I laughed. No wonder Curt loves to do this.

"Mom! I said don't DO that! I need to measure you for the CLUB!"

"Fine, I'm sorry. Go ahead." I waited. It was too much fun.

"GAAA!!" Sadie swung the ruler to her side.

"MOM!! You are FIFTY and you're going to be an OOOOOOLLLLLDDDD lady!" Robin, listening to the whole ceremonial measuring episode, burst out laughing. That didn't help matters. I guess I'm out of the club. Maybe I'll get out a tub of ice cream and buy my way back in. (p.s.... I'm 34)