Board Games Roasting on an Open Fire!!!

(Had to change the title...)

While most of my Christmas memories are happy ones, there are always a few that go into the bad column. There are those that are just bad and not to be remembered, and then there are those that are bad, but priceless... those that still bring an evil smile to my face and make me snort with illicit laughter... Brando's post reminded me... not all good holiday memories are good... or not all bad holiday memories are bad... or something like that.

One that my sister and I have to retell every year (out of earshot of my mother) is the tale of the Family Feud... You see, my mother loves to play games and we usually go along with it, most of us enjoying a game at some point. However, this particular time was not one of them. The majority of my family was seated around the post-dinner table, enjoying copious cocktails and chatter, when Mom decided it was game time. Grumbles abounded, but it was obvious that my mother, not one to wrangle with, was not going to take no for an answer. We all obliged and smiled as Family Feud was plunked down on the table.

It was an omen. A foreshadowing of things to come...

I don't know if it was the fact that some drank more than others, or the fact that my father has an unquenchable competitive streak, or the fact that some of us didn't drink enough, but at some point (and this is where it the takes on the story vary), one brother was accused of NOT. FOLLOWING. THE. RULES!

The validity of who actually won was called into question thus setting my father into a tailspin along with the accused brother. My mother's face was becoming increasingly somber and pouty... I think it was at this point that a sister and I, being the few legally sober ones in the room, inadvertently fanned the flames by laughing at the fact that we were indeed playing Family Feud...

I don't remember how it ended exactly other than one brother grabbed his family and stomped out of the house... my mother was bemoaning the fact that she just wanted to play a game!!! Why could she not get what she wanted just this once!! My father was still trying to claim his victory... and a few others of us were just ducking for cover in safe areas of the house.

It was many hours later, in the quiet of the Christmas tree-lit house, that my sister, cohort in fanning of the flames, spied my mother chucking the Family Feud game into the fireplace. She ran off before her laughter gave her away, knowing Mom would not appreciate the beauty of the irony.

To this day we still laugh...

To this day, we still know better than to bring it up around certain family members...

To this day we curse the fact that a new Family Feud game was purchased and we firmly push for a rousing round of Trivial Pursuit, Oh Hell! or Taboo...

To this day, I still love my family, idiosyncrasies and all.

Comments

[blue girl]

Oh, the beauty of irony is right! Great, great story!

The only Christmas memory I have that's not just normal and sorta boring is the Christmas I put on my new Christmas PJ's on Christmas morning, along with my super shiny strawberry lip gloss and had someone take pictures of me to send to Vince Van Patten, while I posed in my Grandmother's brown vinyl chair. LOLOL Maybe we had some knock-down-drag-outs but I don't remember them. Yours would be pretty hard to top, anyway. Must click over to Sir Brando's!

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

At least no spankings were involved.

Or spiders.

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

You rang?
~

[Jennifer]

LOL!

No! There are no spiders in the 12 Days of Christmas!!!

[Miss Jane]

Thanks for sharing your family with us... to some of us it means more than you will ever know...
There was a year I saw a Christmas tree being thrown out a third story window... lights and all...
Even Scrooge looked pretty good at that moment!!

[Jennifer]

Miss Jane!!!

In my family's defense... they're pretty normal, just dramatic at times. :)

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and I can't wait to see what direction your creations take in the NY.

[herr doktor bimler]

I am sending Jennifer's family a jigsaw for Xmas, with one piece missing.

[Jennifer]

I am sending Jennifer's family a jigsaw for Xmas, with one piece missing.

Now that one, we can handle. :)

[herr doktor bimler]

It also works as a metaphor for family relationships.
A spider pinata DOES NOT work as a metaphor for family relationships. If it does, change families.

[Jennifer]

Yes, I flashed on the metaphor.

[Von]

What a great story!! ho ho and ho.