Are You Game?

How many board games do you own? If you are a board game family you know that the number is probably in the double digits. If you are not a board game family, you have a lot more shelf space in your basement than I. I grew up in a board game family. Lady Di also grew up playing games and cards at the dining room table with her family. To this day I can only win 1 out of every 10 games of 500 against Lady Di.

Which brings me to my original question, 'How many board games do you own?'

I was staring at our wall of games in the basement last week and I wondered, "How did we accumulate so many long flat boxes of fun?

Most of the blame can go to our parents. They are the ones who planted the game playing bug in our brains. Somehow, we also got the bright idea that a new board game every Christmas was sane. That way we could play a new game every Christmas morning as a family. After the new video games got boring, of course. Which is the beauty of board games. They always play differently each time you play. And I'm not talking about the strange way the rules tend to change to fit the needs of the current rule keeper. And why does every game have a rule to gang up on Dad and send him back to Sorry land or make him Draw Four or force him to pay for multiple stays in a fancy Boardwalk hotel every time?

Anyway, our grand total as of last week was 53 games! Games with and without boards. Games with dice, cards, pop-o-matic die, money, tiles, spinners, letters, numbers, colors,blocks, clay, pencils, paper, sand timers, and buzzers. Games with lead pipes, revolvers, top hats, thimbles, pegs, pawns and pigs. Games that give us Trouble, Cooties, Ants in Our Pants, Mystery Dates and Free Parking.

That total doesn't count the multiple packs of playing cards, memory cards, flash cards, match cards,Uno cards, Star Wars cards, Old Maid, Go Fish, Crazy Eight, Bandits, etc.

I also didn't count the 14 games that are currently on our summer garage sale pile.

We currently have 9 games whose name ends with the letter 'O'.

We have 3 different Monopoly games. Original, Star Wars, and Wizard of Oz.

We have 13 Parker Brothers games and 20 games from Milton Bradley.


We have 4 games that require shouting something. Yahtzee, Jenga, Uno and Sorry. I don't think Jenga actually requires that you shout Jenga when the blocks topple but that's how I play it.

We have only 1 game with a large mat with large colored dots.

We have games for small children like Don't Break the Ice and Candyland. And games for big children like Taboo and Catchphrase. We have smart (N1S & SP) people games like chess and cribbage. And for the other people (Dad) we have Taboo and Catchphrase.

Do we really need this many games?

I don't think we will make it through this winter without them. Our weather has been so hostile that it's daring us to just try and survive it. So with no where to go and nothing on TV, we turn to our cheap family entertainment. A little bit of cardboard, ink and plastic to arm us against cabin fever.

So I'm back to asking, "How many games do you own?" "Is it enough to last the winter?" And which are your favorites?

The Vikings Ate My Homework

Last week was the first week of football for the NFL. Millions of people sat on their couches or recliners with a bowl of chips or popcorn, drinking pop or beer and watched their favorite team. Some people do not care for football. Lady Di and Sweet Pea are two of them. Number One Son and I cannot understand that. We love to watch football. Mainly, the Minnesota Vikings. If the Viking game is over, which it often is by halftime, we will switch over to the Packers or Bears or Lions game. These are the teams we follow.

Now I wouldn't call myself a fanatic. If I miss a game, it isn't 'Life or Death'. If Lady Di really wants to watch "Bridezillas" or the "Creative Napkin Folding show" on HGTV, I will usually let her. I may go to the upstairs television or listen to the radio in the garage, but it is no big deal. Plus, listening to games in the garage rocks! But it does lack a bathroom.

Since the Viking team as been in a rebuilding mode for the last couple of years, the games have been less than stellar anyway. I usually get a couple loads of laundry folded while watching. Sweet Pea can usually beat me at a few games of Chutes and Ladders too.

I think what I enjoy most is the inactivity of watching football. I look forward to the Sunday game because it means I will have 2 to 3 hours of being lazy. Nothing to lift. Nothing to fix. Nothing to think about. I have vivid junior high memories of laying on the floor with a bowl of popcorn watching football with my dad or grandfather. When I was young, our family's Sunday routine was, church in the morning, followed by Sunday School, then usually a rather large Sunday lunch. My favorite was fried chicken. Then getting a big pillow to crash into and enjoy Tommy Kramer blow up at the referees. The big meal and comfy couch usually rendered us unconscious by the third quarter.

I'm not claiming that our Sundays were very productive. But they were family time. We would talk about the game, but that would always lead to many other topics of conversation. We would talk about school, music, news or any other issue that would come up. The game itself was not really what was important. The fact that our family would congregate every Sunday to enjoy each other's company was the important thing. At Thanksgiving we would travel three whole blocks to Gramma Peg's house and I would listen to the adults while watching the Detroit Lions. Even though not much got accomplished during the game, I don't see it as time wasted. I miss those times from my childhood.

Even as Sunday afternoons were some of my favorite times of the week, Sunday nights were my least favorite time of the week. I still feel uncomfortable and edgy on Sunday nights. I know it comes from not doing my homework for school during the week. Knowing it was due on Monday morning, I still would procrastinate and force myself to finish my homework on Sunday night. I hated the anxious feeling I would get when it would get close to supper time. Then I knew I only had a few hours left before bed. More than once, I was caught without proper resources and the library closed. This was before the Internet, of course. You know, the 'Stone Age'.

Now those days of homework and cramming for tests are behind me. But I still feel depressed on Sunday nights. I think it is because on Sunday night, the weekend is down to the last few grains of sand in the hourglass, and I feel like I didn't get enough done. I know there are jobs around the house that are not going to meet their deadline.

Which brings me back to football. I'm a little conflicted about making similar memories for my family now. Do I want a tradition of sitting in front of the television every Sunday noon for five months? Will my kids grow up to be procrastinators and thereby ruining Sunday nights for them as well? Right now, I think any excuse to be together as a family works for me. I think a few Sundays per month won't hurt. I might even learn to fold some awesome napkins.

Start your engines

What a beautiful day. I got off from work early this afternoon, got the lawn mowed and started playing. The kids and I played a game of Bean Bag. This is the game where you throw bean bags at some wooden car ramps, trying to get them into the hole in the middle. With a little expert instruction, Number One Son started to hit the target pretty well. His little sister, Sweet Pea was pretty good about nailing the fire pit ten feet away with her bean bags.

Grampa Ray came for a visit and he brought his boxer, Rosie, with him. Rosie is quite a bit bigger than our poodle, Liberty, but they get along OK. Since Rosie is still a puppy, she has to be tied up or else she will run to the next state. So she is tethered to the kids' swing set and was happy to have them play around her. Their swing set has an elevated club house so Rosie could rest underneath in the shade.

Tonight after supper I asked the kids if they wanted to go for a bike ride. "Nooooo!", was the immediate response. I guess the babysitter walked them to the park this morning and they were still tired. So instead of a bike ride I got out something better.

N1S got a NASCAR electric race track for Christmas two years ago from his Grampa Gary. I'm ashamed to say that I've been too busy to set it up before now. You know how it is. After work there's dishes to wash, lawn to mow, deck to build, snack to eat, game to watch, etc. Anyway, it's OK to be a little late as long as you use it eventually. So long as the kids are still at an appreciative age to enjoy it. Since the weather was so nice I set it up outside on the deck. Almost immediately, the kids started enjoying the concept of assembly required.

"OK, kids! Who wants to untwist all of the twist ties?!"

"We do!", was the trusting reply.

The glamour of that job quickly faded. I heard, "Is it ready yet?" , just after I found the instructions. Luckily it was a simple set and I had it set up just as the kids were finishing the sticker application to their cars. Yellow car for Sweet Pea, and orange car for N1S of course.

You could feel the excitement as they anticipated the squealing of tires with the first squeeze of their controller trigger. I placed their cars correctly on the track and off they went. Spinning out on the first curve. This race track set is the same as the one I had as a kid. When you squeeze the controller all the way down, the cars lose control and leave the track. Next, the kids practiced how to get their cars around the track without having to pick up the car and replace it on the track every four inches. They would carefully squeeze their trigger ever so lightly. The car would move a few inches and stop. Then a few more inches and stop. Gradually the car would go half way around the track before stopping. The giggling really started when both cars got around the track without stopping or crashing. After a while the racing got boring and the crashing got more inventive. Each tried to see how far their car would fly after removing one of the guard rails from a curve. After that standard was set, they pretended to go to restaurants with their cars and order drive up.

The main thing is that they had fun. It was a simple toy that provided a lot of entertainment and imagination. It also allowed the kids to enjoy the nice weather with something new to do. The most enjoyable times we have as a family usually involve a simple game or activity. A deck of cards, a board game or paper and crayons are usually enough to produce many memories. The kids actually played pretty nice together and it didn't get competitive at all. Thanks Grampa Gary.

Now what can we do tomorrow?

My Day

Happy Father's Day to all fathers. I had a great day with my family. After church Lady Di took the kids and I out to Perkins for breakfast. Yes, I did have the Heartland Omelet and yes, it was tasty. After breakfast we came home and Number One Son and Sweet Pea gave me a wonderful gift...a nap. I can't believe how good it felt. It has been a while. After that I didn't accomplish too much. I watched some baseball and played with the kids. The kids gave me their homemade cards and we all went for a family walk around the neighborhood. I hope all fathers everywhere were able enjoy their day with their families. Thank you also to my Dad for being a great Dad. I owe much of my father skills to my own father. My family really makes it easy for me to love and support them.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer Dad's Day.

Thank you and I love you.

Pay no attention to the date on picture.

Absence Makes the Father Grow Fonder

Last Monday my son Ethan had his second ear surgery to repair a hole that didn't close after his ear tubes fell out. About one month ago he had the same surgery, but the patch to cover the hole didn't attach itself. This time we spent another long day at the hospital. We got there at 8am and came home around 5pm. Ethan did a great job. He was a little scared of going under anesthetic this time around, but in the end he was brave. He was a little crafty too. Like I said, this time he was scared of going under for some reason. We tried to reassure and persuade him that it was alright. Out of desparation we offered to get him something he wanted if he was brave. We said we would get him a Gameboy. He said, "How about an X-box?" We declined and he resigned himself to a Gameboy and allowed the doctor to put him under. He was quite groggy and in some pain afterwards. To make matters worse, we hit rush hour traffic on the way home. On top of the traffic, we had 2 detours to maneuver around. He only complained a couple times about not being home sooner. Now we have to keep him from running, jumping, blowing his nose and roughhousing. Basically, he has to stop acting like an 8 year old boy for at least one to two weeks. So we borrowed our friends' Harry Potter movies and bought a couple new Jack Sparrow books and lined up as many indoor activities as we could think of. Luckily, he likes board games and reading.

The weekend before Ethan's surgery, his little sister Emery went to stay with Gramma and Grampa up north. She is having a great time. She caught a sunfish "all by herself" yesterday. She has gone swimming and shopping and even went to a township meeting with Gramma. I talked to her on the phone tonight and asked her if she is ready to come home soon. She said, "Yeah, soon or maybe later." I think she still has some fun stuff to do.

It's nice for the kids to visit family overnight on occasion. The dinner table has definitely been quieter though. I am finding that I sure miss her when she is gone. I notice her missing in the morning when I make breakfast. I only set the dinner table with 3 plates instead of 4. I see piles of pony tail holders, stuffed animals and 'My Little Pony's' and I miss her.

Tonight, Ethan was to have had a baseball game. He had to miss it due to his surgery. When the coach called out his name inadvertently I had another sense of something missing. I knew he was at home, but it still made me notice that something wasn't right.

Losing a child is something I don't ever want to have to endure. I can't imagine how it feels for parents who have lost a child. I don't want to seem morbid. I know my children aren't far away. But sometimes their absence from a place I'm used to seeing them in, reminds me that something could happen to them. Then what would I do? I wouldn't be the same man. I guess that my family is such a large part of who I am, when one or more of those parts are missing, a large part of myself is missing. It is natural for a father to love and protect his family at all costs. When I think of such things, I think of how grateful and fortunate I am to have the family I do have. I love Lady Di and the kids more and feel greater joy when we are together. Emery will be back home on Friday. I think I'll give Ethan an extra special breakfast tomorrow morning and save a couple dozen hugs for Emery on Friday.