monopoly + war ='s nostlgia heaven.

I just played Monopoly with my son. We sat on the floor in our pajamas (in front of a licking, happy fireplace) and played Monopoly for like, 2 hours with my friend Laura (awesome name, I know) and her son, Evan. Oh the memories. Oh the sweet, sweet (okay, more like bittersweet) memories of the "good old days" during Christmas break when I would play Monopoly with my brothers. Where Bryan (somehow...hmm) always managed to land on/buy up/load with double hotels (even though that was soooo against the rules) Boardwalk and Park Place, and the game inevitably ended with an over-turned game board, screaming, tears, and, if I'm being honest, lots of blood and a broken door/wall or two, not to mention a mom who had been reduced to tears and wanted to know "Why her children insisted upon acting like the spawn of Satan even during this, the season of love and goodwill toward men?"

Ahhh, those were the beautious Christmases of my youth. So lovely.

I love Monopoly. Kyle would rather be dragged by a pack of wild llamas, or have salt poured up his nose than play any sort of board game, worst of all Monopoly, but I love it, and it seems that Kort is with me on this one. We had a blast. Then I taught him how to play war, and I had some seriously awesome Marysvale/cousin nostalgia...and some seriously awesome guilt. I so totally cheated at war when I was little. Totally did. Any chance I got. My slight of hand got to be pretty good back in the day. So, I think I owe an apology to: Annalee, Trevor, Andrew, Lindsay, Jennifer, Melissa, and Bryan...no wait... not Bryan, I didn't dare to cheat with Bryan. Being the world's biggest cheater himself, he knew one when he saw one. I would always get caught and it would always get, um, ugly.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised today when Kort kept trying to "strategically" roll the dice to the number he wanted. He certainly gets it honestly...