game gone bad

Playing Candy Land with my children brings back memories for me. I remember playing this with my grandparents and some how I would always win! Little did I know then that grandma would let me win, and grandpa would just love to see the excitement in my eyes when I reached the end, so he was secretly hiding the trick that he always just let me win.

So, we received some games for Sam's 3rd birthday, but he really wasn't that interested. So 4 rolled around, and we started playing more, but still the attention span wasn't all there. Low and behold, now Matthew is 3 and Sam is 5 and they love to play games. However, in Sam and Matthew's mind, they both have to win...EVERY TIME. And, don't even think there will be a loser.

Tonight, our family game night went like this:

Sam: Okay, it's my turn first
Matthew: No, it's my turn
S: No Matthew, the oldest goes first
Mom: Well then that must mean that I go first since I am older than both of you
S: No, it's about kids ages
Matthew: No Sam, I go first.
S: Fine, I'm not playing then
Matthew: NO SAM, Fine, I'm not playing
Mom: Okay, here is the deal, we are all going to play, however, I pick that Sam go first.
Matthew: (arms crossed with the look of death on his face) FINE. JUST GO.
(Phew, moving on after 7 minutes of pure fighting and we hadn't even started playing)
``````
Matthew's turn to pick a card:
Matthew: I don't want to move one space, I want two spaces and they need to be green
Sam: BUT Matthew, your card says one space Yellow. You can't move two green spaces.
Mom: Matthew, move one space yellow
Matthew: I don't like this game...I want to pick green cards.
Sam: (Breathing heavy in the background, eyes HUGE with arms crossed)
Matthew: I'm going up stairs and taking all the green cards with me.
Mom: You can't do that because then Sam and I won't be able to play....and then we would be sad

Sam: Fine Matthew, move two green spaces...I'm going up stairs to bed and never playing with you again.

Matthew: FINE, I'll move one yellow space, but next time I WILL pick green.

(Got through that fight.....moving on 20 minutes later)

Your turn Sam-
Sam: picks a card. His card happens to be 2 green spaces....MATTHEW IS DONE. Just done. Matthew: How do you pick all the green cards? (now has tears in his eyes).
Sam, explained it in his 5 year old style that this is the way the game goes.
Matthew: {Crouches}. This is no fun.
Mom: Okay, Matthew your turn
Matthew: picks up a red space, however, the red space is right after the ice cream cone secret path on the board...and Matthew thinks it's okay to go up the secret passage way.

{I glance at Sam who has smoke blowing out his ears...}

Sam: MATTHEW, you have to go to the red space.....you cannot go up the secret passage because you didn't land on the spot.
Matthew: Yes I can, I know I can. Be quiet Sam.
Sam: I can't handle you anymore.
Mom: Boys, please please. Matthew move your man to the red space. You cannot go that way because you didn't pick a blue card.
Matthew: not cool. This game is not cool. Sam, you are going to win and I'm going to loose.
Mom: Well, there is always a winner and a loser. That is how we play the game.
Matthew: I want to win
Sam: No, I want to win
Matthew: I want to win
Sam: No, I'm winning...see.
-Matthew no response-

Mom: Okay, my turn.
Mom: I picked up my card, and it was 2 green spaces. Now I've literally lost Matthew. He threw all the cards he had in his hands out and looked at me and stomped upstairs/barking to say the least and Sam was singing downstairs, "Good Bye Matthew, Good Bye Matthew, Good Bye Matthew, I can't wait to play your guy".

Needless to say, this is life. We can't always get what we want, when we want it. After all, this was a game. Matthew's night lesson, Never to play Candy Cane again...unless it is with HIS Grandparents who will let him win like mine did!

Our Christmas 2009

Our 2009 Christmas Tree

I think I start out every Christmas post by saying it is so hard to believe that December is over and we are now into the new year. But this year, really really flew fast. We had a great month with family and friends. First we celebrated Hanukkah with the Teplin's, then my brother and wife came to town from CA for a visit, and then it was Christmas and the boys were leaving cookies and milk out for the jolly man himself. This year, Sam was so into it, it made me so excited. It brought back those memories of being a child all over again. The glow in his eyes when he was writing Santa a letter to the sparkle in his hop as he ran to bed that night, to the joy he received as he pounced out of bed early Christmas morning to see if Santa really did come. It was all the little things that made him happy. The cookies were gone, the milk was done and the reindeer did in fact take their carrots, but the dropped one at the door.

Let me back up one weekend. Darren & Ann (my Brother and his wife) decided to come in for the holidays a week early from California. What a great decision because our whole family was able to get together. My family from Minnesota along with all us Wisconsin-ites were able to share in the holidays. It's been some time since we all did this, and we were overjoyed to see all. Sam and Matthew enjoyed themselves beyond our expectations. They loved all the individual attention they received from cousins they never met, to uncles and aunts who live so far away and we don't get as much time as we would like. So, this is what the holiday is all about. Food, Family and togetherness.

The boys with my cousin Riley! They just loved her.

Darren and Ann

Moving onto the real Christmas Eve...writing a letter to Santa. All Sam asked for this year was a "Old Fashion Train". He drew a picture for Santa to see what he was talking about. He has this image of Santa's Elves making all the toys on Christmas Eve night and helping Santa drop them off under the tree.

Above, the cookies and the letter that was left for Santa
Below, after Santa left our home



And this was for Sam...and Old Fashioned Train set. He was thrilled. Matthew asked for a Star Wars Costume, which he got as well, but darn it, I didn't get a picture. He was also pretty excited about the train!

Nintendo DS was also another huge hit this year. Sam loves his DS and Santa also brought him a game!

Matthew just wanted Star wars "stuff", so that Santa got. So excited!

...after we opened up gifts, we showered, ate some cinnamon rolls and went over to Mimi and Papa Tom's home for Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to all, and to all another great year!