Boxing Day

The boxes in question have all contained board games around here....

Pairs Chess where you and your partner are forbidden to use any form of communication between moves. The Chess Pairs were pulled out of a hat which gave the kids plenty of opportunities to hone their sibling skills. I distracted myself taking pictures in the lovely sunlight. 

Scattegories - first time playing for me and in my review I have to say considerably better than I was expecting. 

Several games of normal chess. Jackson bought me a Chess strategy book for Christmas and whilst it is quite daunting (not sure the author's definition of amateur quite aligns with mine) I did manage to pick up a couple of new useful things. 

Downfall - may feature in a future blip and it may be a blast from the past for some but is basically an excellent one on one brutal game where you can win by being accidentally helped by your opponent. Our original version from my childhood was bequeathed to me as a Christmas present. 

Barragoon - a new crazy mind-frying* strategy game given to Jackson.  I suspect it was / will be brilliant but my brain hurt too much after learning and playing it for the first time to have a clear view.  Needless to say the boy picked it up far more quickly than I did and completely demolished me. Holding the competing emotions of pride and annoyance is an interesting one. 

And the kids did a quick Olympic Monopoly game (just the one hour) whilst we took the dog for a splendid Boxing Day outing in the sunshine. 

Now the boxes are away and there will be Agatha Christie and Outnumbered. 

So now the pressure of the big day has lifted there has been fun and calm a plenty.  And a relaxed attitude towards getting dressed, though I think for the record I should note that different clothes have been worn between yesterday and today's photos. 

Lesley x

*not the official description.