It was the prelude to a rather lucky life: I've never won the lottery or anything (I understand one's odds are better if one buys a ticket), but I've won more than my share of skill-not-required prizes. I won $100 twice in bingo games, once collecting pieces from the supermarket and once in a school fund-raiser. I once won a case of motor oil at my dad's company picnic (not very exciting, but winning, nonetheless). I've found a $10 bill and a $100 bill, just lying in the street. (The $100 bill was in California, which seemed appropriate.) Within the last 8 years we've been in this house, I've won an address book, a birdbath, and a "Charlotte's Web" DVD.
So I wasn't overly surprised to be told that Eric had won a drawing at a local restaurant we frequent for "The World's Largest Christmas Stocking," 6 feet of various random toys and games. They all seem to be overstocks -- things that the manufacturers were having trouble getting rid of -- and the 4 board games included are too old for our familiy as of yet, but Faith and Eric each got a few fun things out of it, not to mention (for Faith, anyway) the excitement of winning in the first place. (We assured her that while it was Eric's name that was drawn, the toys were for sharing.) Faith got 2 dolls, one of which is the slutty kind I'd never buy for her but which has brushable hair, and a kite, which she's been wanting for a while. Eric got Lightning McQueen crayons and a NFL-themed counting board book. (His favorite page is the 9 football helmets, or, as he calls them, "ball hats.") Also included was Aang's Battle Staff from the "Avatar" series that makes swooshing sounds and pops out wings when you push a button, and there's a big, green stuffed frog at the bottom that they both enjoy. After we finished emptying the stocking, it looked like Christmas morning almost a week early at our house with new toys all around the tree!
