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)
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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!