Playing Games

The family enjoyed playing games Sunday night. It’s amusing to hear the children laugh and scream out with excitement as they get into the game. Once in a while there is a squabble but not too many. They are developing better sportsmanship. They’re reminded that it’s only a game. Playing games together is healthy for social development. It’s interesting to note that the way people play games is a reflection on how they live life.

The older children were playing Clue and were debating whether you could go through closed doors when you are moving around the board. Jaylee was arguing that you could because there is a hallway between the Billiard Room and the Library that only leads to closed doors. There is no sense in having that hall if you can’t go through closed doors. Rachel responded that it was wasted space. Jaylee said, “No! There are doors there! And you can go through closed doors!” Rachel said very seriously, “Jaylee, I have been drawing houses for quite some time, and I know what wasted space is.”

On another game, Joshua went around the whole circle and everyone said that they did not have Mrs. White, the Candlestick, or the Dining Room. This was Joshua’s second game, and so Rachel had to point out to him that if nobody had it then it must be the correct accusation. Then Jaylee pointed out that the Dining Room was one of Jared’s cards and since Jared had dropped out earlier and shown everyone his cards, it couldn’t be the Dining Room. So, Joshua made the accusation that the murder was done by Mrs. White with the Candlestick in the Hall. He was correct and Jaylee, wondering how he had discovered the room so soon in the game, asked how he knew it was the Hall. He nonchalantly replied, “I guessed.” The rest of the night, he kept saying, “I can’t believe I won that game!” The other kids felt the same way.

Joseph wanted to play a game he understood. He went and got Bringing Down the House and asked Mom if she would play with him. Jonathan and Marianne joined in. Mom and Jonathan built their houses according to the rules while Joseph and Marianne just built houses. The rules of the game didn’t matter as long as someone was sitting next to them building a house.

It’s fun having Jaylee and Emily home during the evening. They’re gone so much of the time with work and school. Jaylee will be moving closer to the university at the end of April. We’ll miss her and hope she comes home to visit often.