Alert! Mom has night out and triples her money!

Alarms are activated, mom is trying to leave the house! "Mommy where are you going?" I look at my five year old trying to whisper so my eighteen month old does not hear me. "Bunko."

"What?" My son yells at about 9 decimals.

"Mommy's going to Bunko," I say a little louder than a whisper.

"Why?"

"Its mommy job," trying to be funny.

"I thought it was a game?"

"Well, it is, but I can win money. Mommy is going to try and win some money and if I do we will do something special tomorrow," as if making some kind of potential offering would help me exit the house. I can see my son smiling at me as I am ready to open the door, but before I can make my exit my seven year old appears.

"Mommy, where are you going?"

Oh, not again! "Shhhhh, I don't want Jack to hear me leaving," I whisper.

"Mommy, where are you going?"

"Bunko. I am going to be late. I told your brother if I win, we will do something special tomorrow." I am golden as she smiles and walks away.

Finally! I am able to leave without my toddler hearing me. Sometimes I wonder what I have to do to get a night out around here? My kids don't bat an eyelash when my husband leaves the house, but the minute I touch the doorknob the alarm sounds. Oh, brother!

I almost considered not going to my "Bunko Night" because of our "Home on a Budget Project" but after much debate and a phone call to my sister, I decided I had to get out. My sister had suggested borrowing ten dollars from a friend to play, given the family budget of $45, but I couldn't bring myself to ask. I just decided I would take my chances and hopefully be the biggest loser and come home with my money or have the most wins or Bunkos so I could win some money.

I went to Bunko as if I was going to a job. On the car ride over I mentally prepared myself for the work ahead. I would hold those dice in my hand and really think about how I threw them as to have the best chance at throwing whatever number on the dice that we were playing. Before rolling, I might blow on them for good luck or say some kind of "dice prayer". Strategies. I had to have some strategies if I was going to be a winner.

When I came to a red light, I warmed my hands up with some stretching exercises. I was a woman on a mission: to win some money or my family may be eating "Ketchup Soup"* for dinner on Friday if I lost the $10 to an evening of low stakes gambling. How would that sit with my kids? "Sorry, mommy needed a night out. Not only did I leave you for an evening, but I blew Friday's dinner money on a dice game." No I would spare having to tell my children "mommy was a loser," I was going to come home a winner!

And while most of you skeptics out there must be saying, "There's no way anyone can strategize over a dice game or think it is possible to win on command," the stars were aligned properly as I did end the night with the most wins. Had it been the pre-bunko prayers I said or the hand warm-ups? Maybe it was just "Pure Luck" going into Bunko with practically my last $10 or just my fantasy that I am some kind of "Bunko Superstar." Its all in the hand that's shakin'! Who knows? All I know is I did something right, because I came home a winner. Which means, there will be no "Ketchup Soup" on Friday Night. We may even be able to have Pizza to celebrate surviving "Home on a Budget!" Dare to dream! I am a winner!



Ketchup Soup Recipe (please note, my husband did not want me to post this recipe for fear that people would think we were actually eating this as a meal)

20 or So Packets of Ketchup
and water to taste.... Bring to a simmer.