I'm not going to lie to you.

Things were pretty tense in my household over the weekend.

Mostly due to me having some pent-up frustrations and stress and just unleashing it on everyone all at once.

When those kind of moments/days/weekends happen in my home there's a weird thing that happens in my brain which sounds something like:

"Wow, Mia. Who's playful now? If only your community could see the real you being an absolute tornado of grumpiness and seriousness right now! You're such a fraud!!"

(It doesn't help that I HAVE been called a fraud! And for every million positive things people say to you, it's the negative voices that stick, isn't it?)

That voice is REALLY RUDE, because what the heck? I'm human! Of course I'm not always going to be able to access my silly side, loosen up, not take myself so seriously. That's just life. Still.... that voice is LOUD sometimes.

What I've come to learn over the last few years is that even when we're not able to access playfulness in the heat of the moment or to use it to defuse tension in our homes, it's something we can return to for healing, reconnection, and repair.

(That, along with genuine conversations, apologies, processing together, etc.)

The other night at dinner, I knew we needed a game to all reconnect to each other as a family.

"Hey, Steve!" I said to my husband. "Tell us about the time you found a mouse in your underwear!"

"YEAHH-HAHAH!!" scream-laughed our 4-year-old son, who knew what I was doing...

I was kicking off a round of our latest favorite improv game: "Tell Me About the Time" where you give each other ridiculous prompts and then just launch into imaginary tall tales as if they really happened.

Steve, always one to go with the silly flow (BLESS HIM), swallowed his broccoli and told a pretend story about working out the gym and having an itchy butt, feeling something bite him, and then getting undressed to shower and noticing a mouse staring up at him... then he let out a blood-curdling scream that almost made ME have to change my underwear.

My son then gave me the prompt: "Mom, tell us about the time you were about to eat your broccoli but then the table grew wings and flew away from you!"

Steve was a hard act to follow, but I think I did pretty good. Then, the cutest thing happened. Our 2yo daughter said, "Me! My turn!" so we helped her tell a very short story about a time she saw a little bunny hopping in the grass eating a carrot.

Steve and I gave each other a look like: 🥹 and I said, "This third little Wisinski is gonna be great at this stuff" - start em young!! 😂

All that to say, the stress is still there, things aren't perfect (that's life), but I'm celebrating the fact that our family can always come back to each other and reconnect through laughter.

My invitation for you this week:

Try "Tell me about the time!" with your family!

Some silly ideas to get you started:
- Tell me about the time you looked up and saw a cow floating by in a hot air balloon.

- Tell me about the time you woke up to a bunch of chickens in your bed!

- Tell me about the time your feet started talking to you.

pssst -- And if you want all my favorite improv games for family connection in your back pocket - FAMPROV has you covered.

Cheering you on always,

Mia

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