Among the curious and strange traditions of my family is that of rabbits. On the first day of the month, whoever yells "Rabbits!" first has luck for the rest of the month and is entitled to a little treat. Since I grew up in a large family, that meant there were just that many more people vying to get rabbits. The teenagers rarely got it (you had to be an early riser) and there was a time when Dad would sneak into everyone's room, turn up the intercom full-blast and then yell it at the top of his lungs from the main control. It's not that my Dad's immature you see, it just that... well he had a... it's complica... it's INVOLVED. Dad had an interesting sense of fun. But I digress. When I married I passed this particular tradition along. At first Brent wasn't too keen. He'd look at me like, well, like I'd just joyously yelled out the name of a furry mammal for no apparent reason. "Remind me again, why do you do that?" So I'd explain it all over. After a few months I think his competitive edge caught up with him. Eventually when I got rabbits he'd nod and say, "Oh yeah, that's right!" Then came the day when he gave me a steely stare and said, "Uh FERRET! Or um CHICKEN!" You meant rabbits? He was excited that he'd finally remembered even if he didn't get it perfectly right. Ever since then, he's been beating me to the punch... at my OWN game!
This year Februrary 1 just happened to fall on a Friday which just happens to be the day I have an 8:30 AM meeting and we just happened to be running behind. We decided to drive into work and between being late and Boston traffic, rabbits was the last thing on our minds. I didn't get out of my meeting until 10 and I already had a message. All of my clients are in the Central time zone so it's rare to get a call before 10. I listened to the message and it was my love... victoriously ripping the rabbits rug out from under me... again. My fingers nimbly dialed his work number. I was determined to pretend I hadn't heard the message or at least argue you can't leave a rabbits voicemail. He answered and immediately sang out "RAB-BITS!" Crap, he knows me too well. Okay, so he gets all the luck this month, it's just a game after all.
6 comments:
LOL Since living with you, I still often think of rabbits on the first of the month. I've been tempted to call you or Reggs up and say it, too, but I'm not a Nielsen, so I can't play. But do you see what an influence you've had on my life?
Matthew just doesn't "get it." It is so easy to sucker him. I usually say, after a long list, "Oh, and one more thing . . ." his hackles go up, "what?" RABBITS!!! and he just has this look of defeat. It kinda takes the fun away. You really need to have someone competitive. Like dad. I've called on the 1st, and mom will have known, by 8 am, who got Rabbits that day. DANG! I will get you one day Dad, I will!!!
HA HAAAAA!!! oh you have awoken the beast. I say we re-instate rabbits among the Nielsen siblings. No, wait. I renege. You would win every month because you live on the east coast.
This SOOOO brought back memories, like the time that Katrina woke up at 5 a.m. to call rabbits, and then mom and dad made her stay up the rest of the day to make it official.
When it was just me and Whitney at home I got really good at calling rabbits. Mom ALWAYS said the same thing. "Dad already got it." GRRRR, like hell he already got it! She just didn't want to pony up the treat.
how is it possible to love your family more?? and yet after a story like this... i do... i just do.
and since i have met your dad, i am now the authority on his lovable and awesome sense of humor.
really... can we please just go back to two christmas-eye ago and play dominos and eat homemade soup and rolls again... PLEASE!!!!????
I play rabbits more than Joel does, sad but true. So, is it fair to call someone at midnight and announce "rabbits?" or is a nights sleep required first? Just a thought.
Brent looked adorable in those pink rabbit pajamas when he was a kid. Where did you find the picture? I figured he would have destroyed them all...
Seriously, don't you think the resemblance is amazing? Or significant? Or, at least, really funny?
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