hello, hooligans: dance party violence

hello, hooligans:

we were having a random dance party last night. it happens every now and then when we're trying to survive the 4 p.m.-to-bedtime stretch I call "hell."

it was a good song, from what i can remember. kenna was jumping around like mad, clapping and yanking the dog's tail. riley was standing on my legs, holding my hands for balance and sort of half jumping off, half butt-dropping like her name was miley cyrus.

the she did something awful.

she hauled off and hit me square in the nose.  out of nowhere.

my eyes stung and it was such a hard hit that my initial instinct was to smack back out of self defense. but i didn't.

and i think there's a life lesson in there somewhere.

sometimes, when you're raising kids they have a random misfire and hit you so hard (literally and figuratively) that you rethink your life choices. (it passes.)

maybe he world in general is a little like that, too. random hits so hard it makes your eyes water and your language crusty.

anyway, the only thing you can do is get back to the dancing and keep a watchful eye on the violent ones.

fool me once...

part advice column to my kids, part snapshot into what it's like when the inmates run the asylum. "a pack of hooligans" is often how i introduce my kids to strangers.