After the unit study in physics the Horsemen completed two nights ago, I decided that getting them all together to play a board game would be a wonderful idea. We received two great games for Christmas from Helen's daughter and her hubby.
I made cookies, bought soda, and asked #1 to set up the new game of Jeopardy. I figured that it would be the ideal choice. See, on the evenings when everyone can sit calmly in the same room without poking or pinching, we watch Jeoprady on TV. The boys all love it. I thought they did, anyway.
#1 quickly volunteered to be Alex. I was puzzled, because I'd assumed he'd want to play. He's good at the game, and I knew he'd do well. I volunteered instead, but he adamantly refused to give up his role as host.
After #4 got his tongue caught in the clicker and drew blood, ( "Nobody told me I could hurt myself by seeing if I could pinch my tongue with the clicker!" ) we were off to a happy family evening. When we first started it seemed like good fun. I was way ahead, but I gradually began slowing down my clicker so that they could also answer, and that's when the real fun started. As soon as the boys started buzzing in, the fights broke out. #4 has the fastest eye-hand coordination, and knows the fewest answers. #3 claimed that he knew all the answers but when #4 blurted them out, he got confused. #2 declared that the entire game was rigged because he lost everything in a Daily Double. In the Shakespeare category - a topic about which he knows next to nothing.
Finally, the Movies category showed up. #4 began ringing in and answering correctly. #3 elbowed him in the ear because he cheered and raised his fist after an answer. #3 was asked to leave the game, and he did. After pulling #4's hair. #4 began screaming and didn't hear a question, so #2 rang in first. He answered incorrectly, and #4 was still screaming that he was the best at everything, so #2 pinched his nose. #2 was ejected. #4 left in a huff, because - get this - "You are hateful! You hate all of my brothers, and now I have no one left to beat!"
Final score: one set of bruised ribs, one blistered tongue, two punched shoulders, three boys in tears. One mom sadly in need of rescuing, and one older brother drinking a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. And grinning, because nobody hit him. Sigh. Who knew that Jeopardy could be full contact? We should have done something safer, I guess. Like giving the boys knives. I'll take 'She Never Learns' for $2000, Alex.
When Poe ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
That might not be such a good idea.
Linear Mode
