Games People Play

Stormy weather.
That's what we've had. How about you?

It's actually been a nice day here.
We slept in and then I got up and fixed a late breakfast.
We had bacon and eggs and cantaloupe and some of
the best banana bread I have ever made. It was
a nice breakfast. And it wasn't too long after that that my
parents called to say that they would come over. It was
supposed to be crazy weather today anyway, so rather
than making a mad dash over here if the weather got
severe, they came over and we made a big late lunch
(they had a late breakfast too) and just had a nice day
together. The kids played Monopoly Jr with my dad
while my mom and I fixed the meal.
It was a pretty basic meal.
We had pan fried steaks and mashed potatoes and green
beans and my mom's great homemade rolls.
Basic, but good.
And we had Oreo cookies for dessert.
Talk about basic.
There were other games. The match game. Scrabble.
I don't know if the Rook game ever materialized or not.
My song-writing brother brought over the new CD his
friend made---just came out today, they are having the
big party for it tonight---and it was quite an impressive CD.
Wouldn't be surprised
if he has a record deal
before too long.

So when we were cooking lunch and the Monopoly
players were all around the kitchen table involved
in their game, and the CD was playing and the phone
was ringing as we tried to figure out if Big E's ballgame
was canceled or not----my kitchen was SO FULL of noise
and bodies and activity.
Some might call it chaos.
I remember standing there for a moment and thinking
that this is how I love it to be. It's crazy, but wonderful.
I love to have the house full of people and laughter
and music and all that. I loved it.
But that's what I talk about when I say that I love time
spent with my family. My family has always been one for
having a good time. And we do enjoy ourselves.
We laugh until we cry so many times.


And here's the thing about the game playing---
my immediate family has always been
big game players.
We love to play games. And we must be somewhat
competitive, but we have a good time above all.
And now Lovely K and Big E are getting to where they
can play the big people games. My parents have been
teaching them to play Rook when they have been out at
their house. Today they played Scrabble with me and my
father. Poor Sweet T is the one feeling left out---we had
to break out the Match Game for him and make sure he
got to play a game of that. He is fine when they play
Monopoly Jr. because he is always the assistant banker.

But I love for them to be learning how to play these games.
All the family favorites.
Croquet. Badminton. Rook. Rummy.
Scrabble. Dominoes. Password.
Many more.

Also, during the craziness today,
my mom was pointing out to me that my life is going to be
very full and exciting (to the point of insanity maybe?)
as my kids get older. Someone else said the other day
they wanted to see what I was like when I have
3 teenage boys. (That's the stage of life that always seems
so attractive to me, especially in big families,
when they have older kids and the home is so full of activity.)

They won't really all be teenagers at the same time.
When Big E is 19, Sweet T will be 16, and Baby J will be 12.
Lovely K will be 21 at that time.
Hard to imagine my babies being those ages.
Young adults.
But I know it will happen. I see it all around me.
These stages change before we are ready for them to. It's so good for me to be friends with these older women who are surprised to find themselves with time on their hands in their empty nests. Helps me keep perspective and realize that someday I will wish I could get my kids all under my roof at the same time and it might not be an easy thing to do. They will have lives of their own, families of their own.


While I am writing these words, song #8 on the old juke box over there is playing: It's Sara Groves' "You Cannot Lose My Love." What a precious song, a mother-to-child song. It's beautiful and I love the message it holds. Go listen to it. I think you'll like it.