"I can read your mind"

Maya is starting to catch on to her brother's trickery.

Most nights at dinner start with this:

"Guillermo, is it 'first the worst' or 'zero the hero?'" Maya asks.

She is referring to a game Guillermo learned at school or made up. In the case of dinner, it goes like this:

The first person to sit down at the table is "First the Worst."

Second is "Second the Best"

Third is "Third is the one with the treasure chest" or "Third is the one with the polka dot dress" or "Third is the one with the hairy chest," depending on who sits down and who is making the rules and their mood.

However, sometimes, the first person to sit down is "zero the hero" and the second person is "first the worst," and so on. It all depends on Guillermo, who makes the rules because Maya lets him and Will and I don't really participate.

After she washed her hands one night last week, Maya asked him before she sat down: "Is it "first the worst?" or "zero the hero?"

"I'm not going to tell you until you sit down," he taunted.

She sat.

"First the worst!" he yelled.

"Guillermo!" she shouted at him. "I don't like this game. I can read your mind now. Every time I sit down first, it's 'first the worst.' When you sit down first, it's 'zero the hero.' I'm not playing anymore!"

And that's the last we've played of that game, for now.