Christmas Tradition?

I realize some families have awesome Christmas traditions. I also know that at our house, we do the best we can. As the kids were filtering in to the family home this past week there was a lot of excited twitter about the COMPUTER GAMES!

I don't know exactly when it happened but it can probably be traced back to my "video games will rot your brain" phase. Back in the day when I was mother to a house full of pliable young brains, I was convinced that leisure time was best spent reading the classics or creating art.

Nintendo, X-Box, Wii and the like were all evil and created to destroy the rising generation.

Consequently, my kids spent what little free time I allowed them enriching their minds with educational computer games; games that required them to think and use their brains.

They spent hours creating cities, zoos, amusement parks and incredible, complicated social systems

And because I was not entirely heartless, I remember quite clearly making the rule that Christmas vacation was the one time that everyone could play computer games. There was no school and it was time to party!

So it came to pass that the most anticipated Christmas tradition in our home became the "Computer Games Marathon!" Apparently, while I was upstairs locked in my room wrapping presents or in the kitchen stuffing that turkey, the kids were down in the computer room, in the office or on a laptop in the family room playing Zoo Tycoon, Roller Coaster Tycoon, SIM City, Tomb Raider, etc. etc. I've learned that these games often went into the night; sometimes 24 hours a day as individuals relieved one another around the clock.

Apparently, as sons-in-law joined the family, they also adopted the "Christmas Computer Game Marathon" as the most beloved of family traditions.

So last week when Katie and her husband were finished exams, they headed home to help me get ready for Christmas. There was vacuuming to compltete, a tree to trim, some baking to finish and the games had to get set up!

We were having a pretty good day when about midway through the afternoon Katie started to wonder aloud where the packet that held the discs had been removed to when Wally and I discarded our ancient computer desk last summer. "Where do you think that package of computer games is, Mom?" "I don't see them here on the CD shelf." "Do you think they're in with the photo discs?" "Where do you think you put those discs Mom?"

Now you all remember that I'm married to a tidy man! It was just a matter of time before someone said outloud what everyone in the room was thinking. "I think Dad (choose one:) threw away, recycled, sent to Goodwill, the computer games."

Immediately, EVERYONE jumped on the Bandwagon! Of course, Wally's obsessive cleaning would be the only reason the computer games would go missing.

At first, he maintained his innocence with a vengance but as the afternoon wore on and the computer games were no where to be found, he finally admitted that, Yes, he probably had disposed of the sacred package, even though he couldn't remember just exactly what he'd done with it.

Katie told the story of how in grade three she had told the teacher that her dad had thrown out her homework because it was left on the kitchen counter and the teacher had said, " Now Katie, we all know that a dad wouldn't do that. Why don't you just admit you lost it? ...and stay in for recess to get your homework done."

Friends and neighbors soon heard about the missing computer games and started to rummage through their own stashes to see if this Christmas could be saved. Of course, a number of people called or facebooked to say that the Smart's could borrow any old computer games that would work.

A relieved calm fell over the entire household as it looked like the Marathon could happen.

As the kids began to arrive last week from their various destinations, Dad was once again forgiven, the PC was fired up and it was GAME ON!

The SIMS live, the Zoo has vistors and all is right in the world. Merry Christmas!

.....to be continued.....