Go Fish

Did you ever play that game when you were a kid? I remember that we had a deck of cards that were shaped like fish and we would play for hours. My daughter showed me a deck of Go Fish cards when we were out shopping so I decided we would take them home and play. Poor Peanut wanted to play so badly but he doesn't know his fish very well nor does he know his numbers. He didn't stand a chance. They would eat him alive. So, I said that I would play a few hands when I finished with the dishes.

But when I sat down to play with them, I realized that they had their own rules. Banana Boy had 7 sets of pairs and then was dealing the cards. He had an real unfair advantage. Don't take this kid to Vegas!

"Whoa Son! Back the truck up a sec...let me explain to you how Fish is really played."

They didn't believe me and complained that they liked how they were playing it. But all I heard were squabbles and BB seemed to "win" all the time. I wonder why.

"Bring me the directions. Let's read up on it, shall we."

They grumbled and groaned. But pretty soon, they started getting into it. I would whisper into Peanut's ear and he would say, "P-wincess, do you have any St-war fish?" ( I love 4 year olds!!) and then when someone would ask us and we didn't have the card they wanted he would say, "You better catch a fish!"

I did set up some new rules for playing games:
1) Anyone caught cheating is out of the game.
2) The game is over when it stops being fun.

We had another rule when I was growing up but it probably won't be as necessary with boys as it was with a house full of girls. It was "the game is over when someone cries" rule, which was set into the Peterson Game Creed after the "Risk" fiasco of 1987 in which my father stormed through all of Europe, Africa and the Eastern Seaboard on one turn. We girls did not stand a chance. We also had another unwritten rule, "Don't play Risk with Dad."

Anyway, after 2 hands, Peanut was getting bored and I could tell that the fun was beginning to wind down so I suggested we pack it up for the day but they could play another time.

Today, they have been playing Go Fish all day long. I have enjoyed listening to them practice good manners; "Do you have an octopus?"(I'm so sneaky in how I insisted that it was part of the rules) instead of "Hey, give me all yer dolphins, punk!" (my kids don't use the word punk. I used that for creative emphasis.)But by late afternoon, the game was wearing thin and I called an end to it. BB was upset, and griping about it.

"Well, BB, nobody is having fun anymore. Remember that is one of mommy's rules? The game is over when the fun stops?"

"Everyone is still having fun. I'm having fun. It's not fair." said with a hrmmmph.

"Well, son, your sister just stormed up the stairs announcing that she is not a cheater and Pumpkin-head has been pouting because he feels like everyone is picking on him and he never gets any books. That doesn't sound like everyone is having fun."

"Hrmmmph...." as he throws the deck of cards at me. Point taken. Game over.

It brings back such good memories. Even the bickering. I had some good quarrels with my sisters that are now some of my fondest memories. Even the Risk Fiasco and The Great Uno Uprising (when my 3yo sister stomped the tar out of the rest of us who knew our numbers and could read!!) bring thoughts of "those were the good ole days"to mind. Does that mean I am getting old? Oh no.

I have been anxious for my kids to be old enough to understand the concept of games beyond Chutes and Ladders and Candyland. I really could not get into those games. They just bored me to tears. Don't even get me started on "Hi Ho Cherry-O". I hope that does not make me a terrible mother. I am not an athlete. You will not find me out running in the backyard, running with a soccerball or throwing a football, or trying to shoot a lay-up. But I do want some good, healthy competition, some jovial banter and laughter. I want to bond with my children in ways that only happen when you share jokes that no one understands unless they were at the table. That time has finally come. The family game time has arrived. I can almost taste the popcorn and hear the laughter.