John and I had a great games party Saturday. Yippee! When we used to live in a group house in Boston, twenty-three years ago (!), we had a games party almost once a month. Back then, it was mostly parlor games and non-competitive outdoor games like blindfold Frisbee golf.

We kept throwing games' parties wherever we lived until the kids came along. I think New Year's eve the year Rose was born was our last attempt. I remember thinking, if she's asleep, I really should be asleep.

Parlor games are slowly working their way back into our lives, but board games are a complete fixture. At first it was Dr. Seuss Concentration, which Rose totally whipped us all on. Then we moved on to the no strategy colorful confections like Candyland and Princess and the Pea, then Sorry and Monopoly, and now it's Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Mexican Train, and a dozen other boxes sitting in our closet waiting.

At the party we had 15 adults, 10 kids, 3 tables, and not quite enough chairs.

I had envisioned a grown-up only game full of intensity and strategy and various mixed games. That's kind of what happened minus the intensity and strategy. We had moot and apples to apples grown up version loudly being played in the couch area with just grown ups. Both those games are very nice in that they can have an infinite number of people, and since we don't keep score, you can join any time. The adults were hooting and hollering.

At one point, we had Boggle, which is a grown-ups only game as well, but it takes a little more continuous concentration than that context could handle.

The kids had Apples to Apples junior going on. We played Quirkle, Mexican Train, some fun game Becky brought, Pictionary, and Taboo. Taboo actually worked really well as an all play game with kids and adults. Who doesn't like hitting a loud buzzer?

We left the back room free for the five and under set to destroy with toys, which they did.

Every time we throw a party, I say to John, wow, that was fun; that was easy; let's do this again soon. Stay tuned for more games soon.