Games are a part of our lives. One of the reasons I married Jason was because his family played games like mine did.
It all began with my dad teaching me to play poker when I was 3 or 4. We would play five card stud or five card draw. When the siblings came home to visit, my mom would play Trivial Pursuit late into the night. I would throw a fit if I did not get to stay up to roll the die and listen to them play. I played other games growing up such as Candyland, Perfection, and any card game. As I continued getting my own games, I had some pretty odd ones you may not have heard of such as Dweebs, Geeks, and Weirdos. In this game you had to do stunts, and I can't remember what was at the top, but you moved through dweeb, geek, and weirdo to maybe be a nerd to win. I had my own trivia game Go to the Head of the Class, which was also a TV show. Then, there was the Babysitter's Club game, where some of the cards you had trivia on the books and some you had to solve babysitting scenarios. Other games of that time were Kerplunk, marbles and stick removal until all the marbles spill, or Clue.
When I was entered into Jason's family, the weirdly named games continued. With the in-law parents, you play Backhanded Canasta, where you have 2 hands, and you lay down trios of cards trying to get to seven, so you can pick up your backhand. It is about points and reading your partner. Next, the game of Wahoo, which is very similar to Sorry but played on a homemade board made by Grandpa Brown (Jason's mom's dad). Jason's dad built us one as well, and we play with marbles. We used to keep track of how many times you "died" or were sent home. It is a very long game. Other games with the in-laws range from Phase 10 to Spades to Pictionary. When we play penny poker, we make up our own games there. Maryland is when you deal 2 rivers, like Texas Hold 'em, but you can only play on one with your hand. Four and eight double draw is my favorite, as your aim is to get 4 aces, but you have 4s and 8s as wilds, and you get to draw twice. We have also played Omaha, Follow the Queen, and Seven No Peek Dr. Pepper. The last two games that I will share that we have had a great time playing are Mexican Train dominos and our newest one is called Spinners, with a special set we have. Fortunately, we have played games for years on Saturday or Sunday nights and all major holidays. My memories are definitely in these games.
The games that Jason and I played at our own place before children were all connected to words. From Scrabble to Scattergories with others, word games are our favorites. Ironically, Jason beats me, the English teacher, at Scrabble every time. One of our favorite unique games that we have played with friends is Solitaire Frenzy. It is fast and furious, and I hope we play again with someone.
Trying to create the family game night at our own house, the games that will hold Paisley's interest are Candyland, Sequence, Five Second Rule, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, and Guess Who. Other games that Haidyn adores that Paisley does not adore are Life, Monopoly, and Battleship. In fact, Haidyn also loves Chess, Risk, and poker. The girls both love Wahoo, but we rarely play it. And now . . . why this entire post came about . . . is that we bought Ticket to Ride. What a fabulous game that I learned about at the instructional coaches' Christmas party. Ticket to Ride is where you each have colored trains, and you choose your routes in America. You receive colored train cards, and after drawing several times, then, you place your trains on the routes. Your goal is to complete your routes and get, at our house, the longest train! My favorite part is that you do not do the score until the end, so as long as I can complete my routes, I think I am winning. By the way, Paisley won't play.
All in all, games are fun. They make me think. They create memories with others. I usually laugh during the playing of the games, and I definitely leave smiling if I win. Games for Life.
