I always expected that my boys might one day compete for the affections of another. I just didn’t expect it to happen this early, and I didn’t expect the object of their competition to be a giant blue furry chicken.

Last Saturday, the boys came with me to the annual Easter Seals charity volleyball tournament. Easter Seals is a great organization, and this tournament is a fundraiser for it—dozens of teams get sponsors and play each other over the course of the weekend. The kick-off game is between Delaware Democrats and Delaware Republicans.

Before the opening ceremonies, YouDee—the giant blue chicken who is the mascot for the University of Delaware Blue Hens—strolled into the Carpenter Center gym, and the boys went nuts. They followed him around from court to court, they grabbed him, discoed with him, played ball with him, and tried to take his pulse with the medical kits they had brought along (in case Senator Carper broke another bone). As you can see from these pictures, during the opening ceremonies, they continued their antics—and I, shooting for Clueless Parent of the Month, gleefully took their pictures rather than telling them to knock it off and behave. When YouDee finally left, Zach actually stood vigil by the gymnasium door for him.

Now as to the game itself, we lost. My message to my fellow Democrats: it is ok! Let’s review the last eighteen months. On the plus side, we didn’t have a single incumbent lose in 2006, we won back so many House of Representatives seats that we are on the verge of taking over the majority in the House of Representatives, we won back the Attorney General’s office after twelve years in the desert, and the Republicans are stopping random people on the street and asking them if they want to run for Governor or Lieutenant Governor. On the negative side, we lost two charity volleyball games. I am still feeling ok about things.