B-I-N-G-O

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was Family Game Night at school.

And even though we have been hosting our own family game night at home for weeks now, with a particular focus on bonhommie and good sportsmanship, it didn't go particularly well.

Sis was bored silly and gave up playing halfway through the first game. Instead, we visited the bake sale four times and made snowflake ornaments and bell bracelets at the activity table.

Just the opposite was Bud, so intent on playing that he would try to will numbers to transform so he could cross off another one. But he didn't win game one or game two or game three. Nor did we win any of the raffles announced in between, though his little classmate across from us did. He was deep into game four, ignoring baked good and craft enticements, trying to fill out the entire card in a blackout game.

And he didn't win that either, though he was only 3 numbers off when 5 winners shouted "Bingo!" He was devastated. He wanted it so badly. He tried so hard, as hard as you can at bingo. And he wanted something to make him feel better. "May I have a treat because I didn't win please?" he begged as we left to meet our babysitter (for it was office-party night). I knew that a treat wouldn't actually make it better, really.

But we gave him one anyway, in a way, the next morning, by giving in to repeated requests to be allowed to watch How to Train Your Dragon. Sis and particularly Bud were thrilled and crawled into bed with us to watch what is now their second favorite film, after the original Star Wars trilogy (which I'll count as one film because they see them as a continuum), but before Brother Bear, Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki's Delivery Service, etc.

And so How to Train Your Dragon--with its hero's tale (Sis really likes heroes right now), it's endearing dragons (Toothless is just a big flying black cat!), and action sequences that make you feel like you are flying--made it all better.

Bingo.