The Return Of Family Game Night...Hopefully

 Last weekend my daughter and her fiancee were home so we decided to go downstairs and resurrect something we used to do quite frequently...

Family Game Night.

Sometime last year, it was an almost weekly thing. On Sunday nights we'd gather downstairs in the party basement and play games. These weren't complicated games, for the most part. We'd usually settle on poker or gin rummy or another card game. We even bought poker chips and a battery-powered card shuffler to make card distribution more fair.

We started with Poker. My best hand came when I asked for five cards because the five I was dealt were not good. I was handed three queens in exchange. I really couldn't bet big because everyone knew I was dealt something good or I wouldn't be playing...couldn't bluff my way out of that one. After a few rounds, we switched to Skull King.

We were not a "gaming family" before we had a place to play and maybe that's why we haven't ket up the tradition. Things this winter have been crazy and with an upcoming wedding, it's gotten even more so. Still, there's nothing like hanging out with the family, not expecting to win many hands but sometimes you do, and just enjoying each other's company.

I'd like to say we'll continue the tradition. The past couple of months we've been so tired on Sunday nights, mostly because we've had to shovel snow most Sunday mornings. Plus, planning a wedding can be exhausting.

I guess with anything, time will tell.

Give Thanks...For Family Game Night (And Skull King)

Sunday night have been designated at our house as Family Game Night.

It's the best.

A few weeks ago my daughter had a birthday. For a present she received a card game called Skull King. We've been playing it for the past several weeks and we've fallen in love with it. It's a game where you can never tell how things will end up. In my experience with other card games, I can sort of tell how I'm doing. This game changes with every hand played.

Tonight we gathered around the thrift-store purchased gaming table and played again. If you're familiar with the game, you can see I had good cards, but sometimes good cards are not what you want. This was the last hand of the night...I should have bet big, but I did not. My daughter beat us all.

Though I haven't done any formal research, but I believe card and board games are going through a resurgence of late. Maybe it's because of covid, maybe it's the fact we're all sick of staring at screens all day, or maybe it's a thousand other reasons. Personally, I hope the trend continues.

It's funny, the things you remember when you look back on your life. I remember hanging out with my friends in high school and later in college. I remember so many good times camping and being with family. I wonder if my kids will look back at these weekends when we gathered around the kitchen table or in the Carol Brady Game Room and play games and smile. I'm grateful for our home and the memories we're making...

And for Skull King.