Revenge Is Sweet And Sticky Like Soda

Sometimes your husband's family gets hungry. Sometimes they say to themselves, "Hey, why don't we cook some ridiculous ribs and make a whole lotta of potato salad?" After preparing said foods, they realize they need some help eating all the finger-lickin' goodness they have created so they call in some reinforcements in the form of family members.

When you get that rib/potato salad call, you are ready and you immediately jump into action. But you think to yourself, 'won't we be thirsty after eating all the delicious meat and potatoes?'. Sometimes, not every time, but sometimes, that answer is YES.

So you swing by the convenience store and pick up two bags full of so much soda pop. After all, your husband's family did call in reinforcements. A lot of people will need beverage refreshment.

But sometimes, not everyone answers their telephone. In fact, only you, your husband and your two children show up to eat food.

What to do with all the soda pop? Certainly four adults, one three year old and an eight month old can NOT down six 2-Liter bottles all in one sitting. You try to offer the left over soda as a kind gesture to your in-laws. They are having none of it. Your husband starts giving you Navy Seal signals from the corner instructing you to quickly gather up the kids without causing too much attention to yourself. You do as instructed.

On his signal, which in this case was, "Well, we better go. Love you guys!" you sweep Reesie up in your arms and throw Henry over your shoulder and get the he** out of their house before they notice you leaving without the soda.

You think you've all safely made it outside and to the safety of your getaway vehicle, when suddenly you see this coming down the driveway after you...


Oh, no! That Mother-in-Law must have seen through all the secret hand signs and trickery. She knows you are leaving the soda behind.

"Go, go, go! Start the car!" your husband shouts. You have no choice but to squeal those tires as you peel out of their driveway. You decide to temp fate and get a closer look at your clearly over matched Mother-in-Law as she desperately tries to unload the soda on you.

Sorry, Grandma Lauri. Not today.

You and your husband are so proud of yourselves on the way home. You high-five yourselves for a couple of miles down the road until your hands get sore.

But sometimes, In-laws have long memories and they have soda related revenge in store for you. They are cunning. They let a few days go by. When you come home from a long day at work, you find this on your doorstep...

At first you think some kindly stranger has left you a cold beverage as a treat. But you look closer and see the soda prankster's calling card.

Oh. I. Don't. Think. So.

Quickly, you and your husband put your heads together to formulate a plan so clever and so diabolical that you spend the rest of the night telling each other how awesome the other one is. Again, you high-five yourself until your hands are raw.

You let a few more days go by. Then one early morning your husband sneaks into his parents house and does this...

That's right folks, four liters of stale soda pop poured into 45 2-ounce plastic cups.

What's that? You say you want another look at that? How's about a bird's eye view? This is what sweet revenge looks like from up top.

This is what we look like. Poppin' and lockin' cause we're so awesome. Bring it.

Game on? I think it's game OVER!

I Would Have Never Predicted...

Sunday was my birthday and the first thing Jeremy asked me was, “What do you want to do today?”

There is no way I could have predicted that hours later my response to that question would be, “Why don’t we go to Nickelcade in Ogden?” Whoa. Where did that come from?

Let me back up. Before the whole Nickelcade event, we were cruising the streets of Ogden killing some time waiting for lunch. As usual, Henry started asking us if we would navigate in certain directions. After a few turns, we realized he was steering us directly to Fatcats, an arcade fun center that he loves. Henry had recognized some landmarks near the area and was on a mission.

After we sat all amazed at our little one’s street smarts and memory, we promised him that he could go to Fatcats after lunch if he had good behavior. We then headed to our favorite Mexican joint to eat some delicious, cheesy, spicy goodness. Here’s Henry pointing to the blue sun outside the front door.

You should know that Mi Rancho is smack dab in the middle of a seedy motel that rents rooms by the month, week, day or hour. Ogden. Awesome.

Also, you should know that Henry reminded us that he was behaving during lunch by loudly declaring, “I’M BEHAVING!” He also shouted that he was behaving as he threw rocks in a fountain in our dining area. He shouted “I WIN!” when one of those rocks knocked over a plastic turtle sitting atop the fountain.

After lunch, we were off to play games at the arcade. When we arrived we were impressed with ourselves at finding a stellar parking space. Once we walked closer to the building, it because obvious why we scored front row parking. Fatcats is closed on Sundays. Again, Ogden. Awesome.

Henry was distraught. He knocked on the doors and yelled through the door cracks for someone to unlock the door and let us in. He wondered why ‘that man locked him out’. He asked us for the keys. Jeremy explained to our three year old that ‘the man’ was Brigham Young and he kept the keys on Sunday. Not Awesome.

It is in this moment that this story now comes full circle. I looked at Jeremy and said, "Why don’t we go to Nickelcade in Ogden?”

So off to Nickelcade we went. Henry was thrilled that Dad had the keys to this place. Here's Henry pressed against the entry window in anticipation of all the fun he was about to have.


Henry and Jeremy headed straight for the games that had involved driving and steering.


And shootin' stuff.


I began wondering what I was doing at Nickelcade. Later, I found my purpose at Nickelcade through Dance Dance Revolution Japanese Version. Can I just tell you how awesome We Are The Chapions and We Will Rock You sound as sung by Asian pop stars?


Reese was loving all the bells and whistles of my DDR game.


Really loving them.


She was, however, a little suspicious of Big Bird.


Henry invited Reese up for a horsey ride.


Later, Henry challenged Jeremy to an air hockey match.


Grandpa Wayne decided he would try his hand at a rifle game.


Reese looked on with great anticipation.


I would have been looking on with anticipation as well, but my attention was diverted by a bag of trash sitting on top of a video game. Ogden, Awesome.


After all the game playing and trash spotting was over, we all went out to the parking lot and slathered ourselves down with antibacterial wash. We then stopped to get Henry a slush puppy with the longest straw ever.


Thanks, Nickelcade for saving our lives Sunday. Without you Henry would be so ticked at Brigham Young for locking him out of the arcade.