It's Puzzle Competition Day!!

We love puzzles here. One of Tim's favorite toys as a toddler was a wooden state puzzle, which he called the "Texas," since that was the biggest piece. Everything is bigger in Texas! As these people are excessively competitive, they have, of course, developed a puzzle competition. Originally done with a set of four 300 piece American Girl puzzles, we have moved on to 750 piece Thomas Kincaid Disney ones. While we now own about ten different options, the puzzle competition involves the first four we purchased. The current tournament is in Round 3. Each person has to do each puzzle, and there is some complicated math to determine who will actually be the winner. Place plus time plus degree of difficulty plus some ratio developed by Tim? I'm confused by the whole thing myself! Round 3 was initially scheduled for Memorial Weekend, when everyone was going to be home between college and summer jobs. Imagine the excitement when it got moved up to today!

After two rounds, the current standings seem to be Caroline in first, or maybe Linnea? That puts Tim in third, but maybe he's in second? Sabine is last. She is usually last. She has a good attitude about it, which is pretty amazing, but the whole game seems to be set up against her. Back in the day, her American Girl puzzle was definitely the hardest. And she was the youngest and least experienced puzzler. And she usually had to do hers sitting on the floor because we didn't have enough table surfaces. Add in a little chronic pain, and a really strange -- to the rest of us -- puzzle doing method, she is in a tough spot. And in Round 3? She has to do Tangled.

No one wants to do Tangled. Love the movie, and Rapunzel is my personal favorite fairytale, but the puzzle? So, so hard. A dark sky, a dark lake, and a plethora of yellow lanterns. The contest started by drawing the puzzle choices out of a hat.

Tim -- " Nooooooo!! I got Tangled! Nooo!! I have no chance!" Then later, as he psyched himself up -- "Alright, this is good. Tangled first. Get it out of the way. I can pick up my ranking with Beauty and the Beast later. No problem!"

Caroline -- "It doesn't matter which puzzle I get. I will win. I am the best puzzler."

Linnea -- "No! I'm the best! I will win. Caroline is not the best. And I will prove it by being first every round. Caroline will not beat me. Ever. What? I have to do Tangled in Round 2? Nooo!!! I will not win that round! I have to winnnn!!!!"

Sabine -- "I'm going to come in last. Give me Tangled next. It doesn't matter. I will finish last. Let's get it over with."

60 minutes in, at the first break? Sabine has the border done. That's it. Poor kid.