Bubble Gum Golf

Our family is one of those crazy sports nuts kind of families. My husband, K, and I were both heavily involved in sports while we were growing up, and we both played a sport in college, which is where we met.

While in college, K taught me how to golf. I must admit, I picked the game up rather easily, most likely due to the fact that the sport I played in college (field hockey) basically requires a golf swing to hit the ball. Completely frustrating to K is that my success with the sport has never quite led to the same passion for the game that he possesses. It absolutely drives him nuts that as we're traveling from one shot on the course to the next, he's commenting on his swing, the trajectory of his ball, my swing, the trajectory of my ball, etc., and I decide to divert his attention to the absolutely stunning deck and backyard pool that's coming up on the right.

So... when M became an age at which K felt was old enough to begin swinging a golf club, he had her by his side at the driving range whenever possible. If I remember correctly, I'm thinking this was around 18 months. O.K., maybe 2, but still... you get the point. By the age of 3, M was riding alongside her dad in the golf cart, attempting drives down the fairway at each hole, and then putting alongside him on each green. She became familiar with the standard golf terms... club, drive, putt, par, bogey, eagle, etc.

By now, based on the title of this post, you're probably wondering what all this has to do with bubble gum. Well, one afternoon, as I picked M up from preschool, buckled her into her carseat, and allowed her to chew a piece of gum (of course, sugarless... we called all gum "bubble gum" back then), she began to, in between chomps, express her joy for the delicious, sticky, pink stuff.

"Mommy, I looovvvve bubble gum! Do you love bubble gum?" She asked.

"Mmm hmmm... I looovvve bubble gum." I answered.

"Mommy loves bubble gum. I love bubble gum. Daddy loves bubble gum. Everyone loves bubble gum!"

"Mmm hmmm... everyone loves bubble gum, " I replied, wondering when this thought provoking conversation may lead into another.

"Well, " M stated, "Daddy likes bubble gum, but he does NOT like bubble bogies!"

Daddy was so proud...