September 23: White Chocolate Day
Food of the Day: Food of the Day Goal
Day: 79

Emily made brownies with white chocolate chips to celebrate white chocolate day. YUM!  I bought two white chocolate candy bars: one for me, and one for Cole to take on his high school camping trip.

Let’s muse.

The last weekend in September, Cole’s high school goes camping together to welcome the freshmen and to reconnect with one another after the summer break. Teachers and high schoolers take the train to the Indiana Dunes and spend two nights cooking side by side over an open campfire, sleeping in tents, and playing board games and sports. Have I mentioned that Waldorf teachers are amazing? They shepherd about 75 high school kids on this trip and still like the kids and speak to the parents when they return to classroom the next Monday.

Concussed Cole had to sit out the sports part of the trip, so he played Scrabble. I can’t imagine he did very well at it, unless they now make Scrabble with a spell check.

Do you play board games? I don’t.

When I was a dumb little kid, my mother won every game of Candy Land, Clue, the game with the apples on the tree, jacks, old maid, gin, Parcheesi…and colored better than I could. I don’t remember it ever upsetting me that she won and I lost, because that’s just the way it was…I was a good sport and accepted that I was a loser. Of course, I did grow up to hate board games, but I still like to color.

My losing steak ended when Cole and I played our first game of Candy Land. Deep down, the feeling of triumph bubbled up with each roll of the dice. I was the mom, it was my turn, I was going to win…and I did!

Success and happiness were mine for one brief, flittering moment…and then I noticed my five-year-old’s eyes cloud over. His bottom lip trembled and big tears began to roll down his cheeks. His heart was broken…what had I done? After I consoled him, I promised myself we would never play another board game. Victory was so sweet; what if I could not control myself and won again?

Going forward, Joe played board games with Cole. His goal was to teach Cole to be a good sport by letting him win. It worked. For months, Joe lost every board game they played. Cole would give him a big hug after each game and tell his dad that maybe he would win next time. Soon, Cole began to cheer for his dad as he got closer to winning. After one game, where Joe lost by only a roll the dice, Cole seemed more disappointed then Joe. Soon after, Joe won his first game of Candy Land. I’m certain Cole was more excited than Joe. Joe continued to let Cole win more often than lose, but over time the playing board evened out and they were playing as equals. As time went on, Cole was never a happy loser – but win or lose, he was a good sport.

Winning board games was never important to me, but I could never stand for anyone else to sit next by my mom. So at Brownie meetings, or events that included other kids, my mom always made sure she saved me a seat next to her. I suppose she could have gone by the old “whoever gets here first” rule, but she didn’t. Good thing I was an only child.

Do you like board games? Or do they bore you? Do you let your kids win at games or roll with the dice? Muse with me….Odd Loves Company.

♥

Kb