Dear Family, It's On Like Donkey Kong!

I have mentioned before that we are gaming geeks here at Casa di Romano.  We love us some board games.  I will pretty much play most anything.  I do draw the line at Monopoly.  That game sucks the life out of me.  I mean.....seriously!  Until such time as I can actually purchase things (in the real world) with all the money I win in that game, I am not playing again.  Unfortunately, they make that damn game in every freaking flavor.  We have a Spiderman version, a Hello Kitty version, a Mario version, a new updated electronic version that includes inflation readjustment for today's day and age, and about seven other flavors.  Blah!  I hate that game.  However, that is not the point of this post.

In addition to board games, we love us some video games.  I have mentioned before that we own every game system.  I do mean EVERY game system.  It's actually a sickness.  We're addicted.  Fine, whatever.  At least the Wii and the XBox360 Kinect get us up and moving!  We play the sports games, the blow them up, shoot them up, run them down games and everything in between.


My boys are hopelessly addicted to the MMORPG games.  That stands for Massive Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games.  BDC and I aren't into those so much, but, to each gaming geek their own, right?


I play word games online.  We have a membership to one of the monthly game sites where we can download a game a month and earn credits.  We do a lot of picture in picture games, match 3 type games and puzzle games.  None of this is really the point of this post either.  Just back story.

Ah...cards.  Oh how I love to play card games.  Poker.  Uno.  Hell, I even like to play Go Fish.  Crazy 8's.  Old Maid. Spades.  Rummy.  Gin Rummy.  Cards are good to me.  They love me, and I them.  A family favorite of ours is Phase 10.  It's a Rummy type game.  You get runs and sets.  It's a fun game....unless.  Unless what you say?  Unless you get stuck.  Then it sort of blows.  But more about that in a few...


So here is the point of this post.  I am a teensy way bit competitive.  And by teensy way bit, I mean in the crazed lunatic, I have to win, I won't let my kids beat me kind of way.  It's not an unhealthy crazed lunatic, I have to win, won't let my kids beat me sickness per se, but of course I might see it differently than those I live with, or you know, just about anyone who has ever played a game with me.  EVER.


Here's the thing though, I am either really really lucky, or I have badass ninja skills when it comes to games.  Let's go with BADASS NINJA.  It doesn't really matter if they are board games, video games, cards games....whatever.  I just win.   Especially if the game is part strategy, includes a number component and a little luck of the draw.  Then it's almost impossible to beat me.


So...my family has now instituted a rule.  Apparently it's been going on for quite some time and I didn't know....I am too busy making strategical moves in the game to notice, but they are ganging up on me.  ALL OF THEM.  It's a collective thing.  They don't care if they win, just so long as I DON'T.  Take today for example...we played Phase 10.  I LOST.  I was pissed.  Every time they could, they dropped skip cards on me.  ALL OF THEM.  Even when I was losing...badly, they still skipped me.


So now?  It's on.  It's on like Donkey Kong!  NO MERCY!  Mercy is for the weak!  I have been known in the past to "throw" a game or two, just to keep them interested in playing with me, because I like to play.  Scrabble for example....other than online play, no one has ever beaten me legitimately playing face to face on the board.

So....Smackers, what do you think?  Are they teaching me a lesson?  Do you get crazed out of your mind and drunk on the taste of sweet sweet victory?  Do you let your kids win to build their confidence or do you play to win?


I've shared my dark need to beat even five year olds.  Fess up.  Do you or don't you?