Jack got SORRY! for his birthday. It was my favorite game when I was a kid. Jon and I used to viciously, gleefully battle it out for the title of Supreme SORRY! Champion of the Universe (or of Acker Street, at least.) Remembering his smug face when he'd get the card that would send one of my pawns back to the start makes me smile now but at the time, I'd fall off my chair in an agony of disappointment that he was one step closer to winning the title. I can remember singsonging, "SORRRRRR-REEEEEEEE!!!" when I'd get the card and he'd clutch at his hair like his dog died (we didn't have one) while I triumphantly sent his pawn flying and put mine in its place with a dramatic flourish. That game was hours of fun, fantastically awesome good times. My chest is swelling and I can't help smiling at the thought of the enjoyment we got out of good-naturedly kicking each other's asses at that game.
I had visions of my kids having the same experience when I grabbed it from the shelf in Target. The box listed the recommended age as 6+ but whatever, I knew Natalie could hold her own. She's advanced. Of course she is, just look at her mother. On second thought, maybe don't. Yeah, definitely don't these days.
Ugh.
ANYWAY, we sat down to play while Bon napped. The kids were excited because I was so excited. I read the directions which were way more complicated that they needed to be. We played for a bit and it was good times until the first SORRY! card was drawn. Jack was seven kinds of pissed that Natalie knocked his pawn back to start and freed one of her own to take his place. Not I'm-just-kidding pissed like when Jon and I played, no, he was take-his-pawns-and-put-them-all-back-in-the-box pissed. I rolled my eyes, talked him down from the ledge and we began again. It was all good in the hood until he pulled a SORRY! card on The Madam. Who flounced off to stand in the corner all Blair Witch Project style. Umm, what? Guys, it's a GAME. Games are FUN. What's with all this fuss?
Coaxed Natalie back to the board but by the time 2 more SORRY! cards had been drawn and we had 2 more repeats of the dramatics, I was officially I-hate-poor-sports, you-guys-suck pissed. We played a bit longer but nobody's heart was in it. Except mine. Then Jack decided that it was a really long game (It is. I'd forgotten that part.) and he'd rather play Wii. Nat decided she'd rather watch him. SORRY! indeed.
I was the only one who still wanted to play. For a split second I considered playing the "dead brother" card to get my way (works every time!) but they are too young for that. At best, it would have been lost on them and at worst, it would have bought me a little more playing time at the cost of years of therapy bills to go along with the three college educations that already weigh on my mind.
The game is on the closet shelf, waiting for them to want to play it together. Or not. Some magic cannot be recreated no matter how much you wish it was so.
Hopefully, they will find magic moments all their own.
No comments:
Post a Comment