Snipes (Part of the sleepover with Ellie) (AHW)

"Turn on your Snipes at the count of three!" yelled Ellie across the house, "1...2...3!" She switched the button on the bottom of the Snipe (a small, green or red plastic dinosaur type thing) from 0 to 1. "Where should we hide it?" I asked. "I know!" Ellie exclaimed. "Up here," she whispered as she stepped up onto the bottom shelf in the closet where Lauren's clothes were. "This is not gonna end well," I thought and said out loud. Ellie carefully set the Snipe on the top shelf in the closet. They're never gonna find it here, I thought; I was wrong."Done!" Ellie shouted. We waited anxiously for Hannah and Emma to tell us they were ready. We saw them come out of the living room and knew it was in there somewhere. We checked in boxes, under and in between the couch cushions, inside a pair of mittens, under the couch and on Fletcher, the dog. It was nowhere to be found. While we were looking under the couch, we opened this box thing and found a smaller box in it. We both had the idea to hide our Snipe in there next time. We closed the box and shoved it under the couch. Just as we got up and started walking to the kitchen, we heard the Snipe making a pterodactyl-like noise. "Eraaachk!... Eraaachk!..." It repeated over and over again It sounded as if it was coming from the other couch. The one Ellie's dad was sitting on. "Do you have it?" asked Ellie. "I do not," replied Mr. Deighan. Ellie then checked in Fletcher's sweater. "Come 'ere," Ellie said to Fletcher. The Snipe was not in there. Finally, Hannah and Emma came in and asked us where our snipe was hidden. "Not until you tell us where yours is," replied Elie. "Fine,...dad, stand up." Mr Deighan stood and Hannah flipped over the pillow that was underneath him.There was the Snipe, seeming to call "ToooBad!...ToooBad!.." over and over again.

I had a really good time and, though I lost that round, I learned that not everything is always about winning. It's about having fun, playing hard, and trying your best. I did all of those things and that is what matters.