Family Games

Long before "Family Game Night" was a marketing phenomenon, it was a very real part of my upbringing.  Growing up, I spent every single Sunday at my Grandparents' farm, playing with my youngest aunt, Chrisi.  (She's only a year older than I am, which I've always said is a good sign that you're Catholic and from Iowa.)  I have the best memories of sitting around their big round kitchen table playing board games to the death.  We seemed to favor the games that involved people making fools of themselves: Pictionary, Taboo and Outburst were all big favorites.  Chrisi and I were quite the formidable team, knowing each other as well as we did.  She seemed to be able to tell the differences in my drawings, though they probably all looked like sheep.  Chrisi and I are still very close. When we are together we still laugh until we cry, and I think those long lazy Sunday afternoons are a big reason why.

I suppose it falls to reason, then, that I've carried family game time into my present life.  We probably own every board game that has ever been produced, but the silly old favorites still reign supreme.  There are a few newer games that have joined the list, too.  Cranium is the all-time champion, as a mash-up of all of our favorite games.  If you don't have this game in your collection, RUN to your local game store and prepare to laugh until your stomache muscles ache.   Whoonu is another game by the makers of  Cranium that we love.  It offers two important elements: 1) it's a getting to know you game, which keeps you communicating with your kids.  And 2) it can be as long or short of a game as you want.  You can literally play it for ten minutes before bedtime.  Take that, Monopoly!  Lately, the youngest kids have been surprising me by being able to handle games that should be way above their head.  Dharma, age 9, is now a Boggle addict!  I hope my kids will grow up to tell their kids stories about playing games around our diningroom table and laughing until they cry.

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