Fun Family Game Night

Fun Family Game Night, never have four little words hidden such a diabolical meaning.  Sid has been desperately asking for a family game night. She is too young to remember the game nights of old, the tears, the bloodshed and the carnage just a blur on her memory. Ever since the last Game night which stopped just short of a knock down drag out fight, Rob and I have been avoiding a recurrence. We dodged the bullet at Christmas, feigning sickness but Sid was not to be deterred.  A recent weekend was Family Day here in Ontario, what better day to hold a family game night reasoned Sid. That girl is nothing if not persistent. Whilst she spent the weekend choosing games, selecting snacks and creating a soundtrack on her IPod , Rob and I took a different view , something akin to bamboo shoots under the fingernails. An invitation was issued to Zach - I felt a little guilty about dragging him in to the drama, but we needed to round out the numbers.

Game Day dawned bright and sunny, no indication of the black clouds that were to later form under our roof. Grady starts the ball rolling by declaring he doesn't want to take part. Too bad, he is family and therefore must suffer alongside the rest of us. Zach arrives, full of youthful anticipation of a fun filled evening. Poor bugger doesn't have a clue. Grady continues to express his reluctance, only to be thoroughly scolded by his older sister. Round 1 to Lindsay.

We can't postpone the inevitable any longer and finally sit down to Dr. Who Monopoly. This is the game Grady bought a month ago and has been wanting to play ever since - except for this day of course. Rob is muttering under his breath,  and Lindsay has another go at her brother. Round 2 to Lindsay.  A few minutes in and we realise just how cutthroat our family is. Grady refuses to throw the dice and Lindsay smacks him upside the head. Game, Set & Match to Lindsay.

No matter how much we cajole, bribe or threaten, Grady refuses to take part. Rob removes him from the table to the sounds of Sid's sing song "Someone's in trouble". It is finally dawning on Zach what he has gotten himself into. We divide up Grady's spoils and continue the game. Ten minutes later, by mutual consent we declare Zach the winner and toss in the game. Throughout this Sid has been enjoying herself, so much so that she announces we are now going to play Moustache Smash. Will this torture never end ?.

With the latest game we all have to hold a moustache on the end of a stick and as the cards are overturned you smash the end of the stick down if the card matches the colour or shape of the moustache you are holding. There is a little suction cup on the end of the stick that allows you to grab the card. Person with the most cards, wins. Simple right ? Wrong. I am at the end of the table so I don't have a hope in hell of even reaching the card, which is probably just as well as 5 different sticks (Grady has relented and re-joined us) smash down on the card and any fingers that happen to be in the way. Everyone takes to this with the enthusiasm of Gladiators in a Roman arena and it isn't long before cards, moustaches, and sticks are flying through the air. Gone is the pretence of  collecting cards and it quickly becomes a free for all, as my children begin wailing on each other with the sticks.

Another game night bites the dust.  Norman Rockwell has nothing on our family.