Saturday Night at a nerd's house...

I am a very competitive person.  This might be putting it lightly.  Whether it's a simple board game, a video game, a basketball game, typing game, karaoke contest, etc I REALLY hate to lose.

A game of Carcassonne.

I think this all comes from living with 6 extremely smart, creative, talented siblings with whom I had to constantly battle to claim notoriety.  Or maybe, I'm not a loser.
For some reason this competitive nature really started to rear it's ugly head the last 15 years.  I don't remember being this competitive in high school.

The worst incidents include yelling at a dear friend while she held my newborn son for not pulling her weight in a serious Pictionary game, and throwing a Wii controller during a heated Mario Party battle...with my children.  Yes, I threw the controller as my children looked on, mouths open.  I know, I'm an amazing role model.  Just yesterday I cursed the Zelda: Skyward Sword game for I am having difficulty beating a stupid skeleton warrior with FOUR ARMS!  Why FOUR ARMS, what is it trying to prove?  Thank goodness my children were not there to hear the obscenities coming out of my pie hole.

I have decided that 2012 was the year I grew up.  Financially, professionally, physically, etc just make more grown up decisions.  This has also included getting a hold of my insane competitiveness.  However, as you can see from the sentences above this is going to be a long year of resolution breaking.

Ainslee in front of The Wizard's Chest.

As part of this new Grown-up Amanda Regime Kurt and I are on a strict budget to get our finances at a more grown up state.  Henceforth for entertainment we have been playing a ton of board games at home. Hours of cheap entertainment that all of us can enjoy.   We found some fantastic game stores that sell great board games.  The Wizard's Chest is one of our favorites.  I especially love the back room, where devotees play role playing games and D&D.  What I really love about games like Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne is that you can get expansions.  So if you are bored with the original just get an expansion to make the game new and fresh again.

Three of our favorite games.

With all this board game playing came the crazy competitive Amanda.  At first I hated losing (except when Ainslee pulled out a win-I'm not that heartless), I would get so mad.  Mostly because Kurt and Harper are annoyingly smart at strategy and beating me.  This was causing some unwanted side affects (aka threatening to sell one of the pets, or someone may be sleeping on the couch).  So inspired by Operation Grow-up I have been being more Zen like at losing (and winning).  Now I play to just enjoy time with my family, enjoy the game.  It has been hard, which is why when I'm alone...playing video games...I let it all out.  It's therapy.

To be honest I actually have been enjoying playing much more.  There is no pressure, just fun. Maybe in time that friend I mentioned earlier during the Pictionary game, will someday play with me again-if she takes drawing lessons.