Let the Games Begin

It seemed like a simple plan- family games night. No need to rush out and complicate things to spend a little quality time together. Just some popcorn, a board game, and a relative or two. Our ever social girls started in on me immediately- "Can I invite a friend? me too, me too! If she can , so can I, right mom?" Sure- bring 'em in- its Games Night, and the more the merrier!

Auntie and Uncle arrive, late as usual but laden down with snacks, some movies , and a board game. We laugh at the irony of them coming to our house to celebrate the week's end, their own children grown tall and independent. The boys and I finish up some lego soldier creations while the snack smorg gets set up on the counter, beside the hamster in his wheel. Round and round he whirls, determined that this time he'll make some real progress.

Scattergories seems a good place to start- even educational! We lay out the game cards amongst the grapes and chips and bags of peanuts. Two pre-adolescent girls in tickle trunk evening gowns come screaming through the room, their faces gaudily made-over. We pause to snap some pictures. The phone rings again- isn't everyone we know here already? Its the baby-sitter, he wants to sell us grapefruits for a fundraiser. Okay , back to the game. Micah , laughing outrageously, manages to incorporate the words "poop" or "stooopid" in every entry on his list. His penmanship is good though, I won't mention that neither word begins with the letter "M". Here come the girls again, another strut down the runway.

"WHAT WAS YOUR WORD?" yells a normally soft-spoken auntie, wanting to make herself heard over the commotion.

"THE CAT!" screams Brian. ( Now "cat" doesn't start with "m" either. )
"Put that cat in the basement if you want your hamster to see the light of day!"

Maybe next time we WILL go out.