True or False?

The family has a new show that we have become quite addicted to watching.  

It is Discovery Channel's Cash Cab.  Basically, unsuspecting New Yorkers hop into a cab to get to . . . well . . . wherever, and when they give the cabbie their destination address, the cabbie reveals that they are in a cash cab, a trivia game show.  Contestants are asked random trivia questions and accumulate money for each correct answer.  If they answer incorrectly, however, it is a strike.  If they gather three strikes, you guessed it, they are out.  Literally out.  They have to get out of the cab right then and there, even if they have not reached their destination.  It is fun to watch and even more fun to participate.  The whole family gets involved, including Ethan.

So, lately, the role-play game of choice has naturally been  the Cash Cab.  Ethan always wants to be the "cabber."  In his terminology, the cabber is the driver and the game host.  He gets to ask the questions.  As we cruised around town this week, Ethan has asked us such gems as, "Is the sky blue?" and "What is my favorite color?"  Variations on a five year old theme, I suppose.

Today, though, was by far, the best family episode of Cash Cab.  

E started out the show by using his deep announcer voice, "Welcome to the Cash Cab!" Here he paused to do some sound effects.  "I am your cabber Ethan.  Let's go!  Round one: fifty dollar questions . . ."

Abbie and I glanced at each other and giggled at Ethan's antics.  We were ready!

He jumped right in with the first question.  "True or False?"

We waited for a few moments for Ethan to finish his sentence, and when it appeared that he wasn't going to finish it, Ab looked at me for direction, and I posed the question to E.

"E?  True or False what? What is True or False?"

Obviously frustrated with us for not understanding, E repeated a bit louder, "True or False?"

He clearly was not getting it!  So, I just went for it.  "OK, Ethan.  True,"  I answered.

He paused dramatically and then stated in his booming voice, "Nope!  That's wrong.  Strike one for you mom!"

At this point Ab's giggles were turning into full force laughs, and they proceeded to get worse when E said, "Question 2:  True or False?"

I was laughing too by now, so I looked at Ab for help.  She posed her answer.  "OK Ethan.  False, my answer is false!"

Sure enough E came back with, "Nope!  Strike 2!  Just one more strike, and you are both out of the cash cab!"

Our laughs boiled over with his latest exclamation.  Ab and I had to wipe the tears from our eyes before we could speak coherently.  

So,  a winner at cash cab I am not. But, after laughing like that, I felt like a winning mom!

Now, onto teaching Ethan the logistics of a true and false question . . .