Nerdy Birdy

Don't fret my pet, the new look is temporary, well maybe.  I don't know, I do kind of like it.  We shall see. I get bored and have to switch it up every once in awhile.  I must confess our family is kind of nerdy when it comes to all things comic book. The husband used to be a huge gamer in his 'younger' days.  Not so much gaming going on anymore. 

Used to dabble in video games (used to own like every system, but now we're just down to an Xbox 360 that we've had for years, and mainly gets used for Netflix and when the kids use it to play their Kinect games.  We have a Wii that was given to us as well, but I can't even REMEMBER the last time we used that! I think it just holds down that particular shelf on the entertainment stand.  We do have a few games for it though.  Husband was a big fan of (and still has his entire collection) of Heroclix (if you dunno what that is, Google it, it's comic books meets chess/checkers type of game play).  He also has a large collection of Magic (the gathering) playing cards.  Personally, I think that game is absolutely stupid.  As well as one of MY personal favorite card playing games, Munchkin.  Love that game. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, just Google it). 

Over the years those hobbies have come and gone for my husband, however he does still enjoy them he just doesn't do much with it.  There things that can take up precious time and money and you don't really want to put that much money or time into it, especially when you want that time and money to go towards your kids. 

Now we play games like Candy Land, Yahtzee, Connect 4, Operation, Life, Monopoly (Jr. and the one for adults), Risk, Strageo, matching games, Guess Who, Sorry, Trouble, Cooties, Chutes and Ladders, Battle Ship, and you know...all those kinds of fun games.  The kids are getting several games for Christmas and I can't wait! Though they DO have a few gently used Kinect for Xbox 360 games they are getting for Christmas as well (thank you Game Stop sales rack!!) When you can buy a video game your kids will LOVE for under $5, *whew* that is awesome.  They are easy right now, they are under 10 and we severely limit their "knowledge" of video games and game systems (ironic considering my husband AND his mom are/were so into video games!!!)  Now my mother in law STILL owns and plays every game system, and we rarely see her because she's always playing some kind of video game, either on one of her systems or on her Ipad.  Works for me.  Limits my exposure to the woman (ohhh that's a whole different BLOG entirely...haha).  Did I mention she moved in with my husband and I over a year ago because of her health?  Heaven help me.  Don't ever do that.  Ever.  Move her to Pluto, or another galaxy....

Her only way of "bonding" with her son was through video games, which was probably the ONLY reason my husband ever really got into the video games in the first place, he was trying to have some kind of a connection with his mom (their relationship is a disaster zone, and by default makes stress levels in my home astronomical, HOWEVER he's a DAMN GOOD SON and he tries his best to always be there FOR that woman). 

So yeh, our family can be a bit geeky or nerdy from time to time.  Not going to deny our love for D&D type games.  Though it's been a year since we've had a "game night" at our house.  Usually Friday evenings after the kids were in bed, we'd have a few "fellow gamers" over and we'd play some D&D type games.  It isn't all Dungeons and Dragons there are multiple types and styles of these games.  Some people, take it pretty dang seriously.  As in, dressing up as the characters and what not.  We aren't even CLOSE to being THAT nerdy.  We're just a small group of friends sitting around the kitchen table after the kids are asleep for that night, and we're snacking on some pop corn or home made stuffed jalopeno poppers or whatever and drinking some tea or *gasp* soda.  We even get REALLY wild some nights and bust out the hot tea or hot cocoa.  Oh yeh.  We live, living la vida loca 'round here! Sitting around at the table rolling our dice, going along with the story line, writing on our paper (the most "in" to character I ever get is sketching my 'character' when it isn't my turn at that particular moment.

I've always loved fandoms.  Since like, well my whole life. Used to be a closet fan girl, no one knew about my love of fandoms.  Everyone is in a "fandom" what the heck do you think sports fans are?  That's a type of fandom, only ya'll call it being a "SPORTS FAN!!" (to be fair we're sports fans too, we LOOOVE us some football, GO GREEN BAY, and of course GO ROYALS and GO CARDINALS for baseball season!)  Everyone has SOMETHING they really enjoy and get super into.

Some people buy Cardinals memorabilia, others buy Heroclix or fancy dice.  It all depends on what you are "IN" to.

I've never been one to play video games or computer games, I can't stand them.  When I was nursing my daughter I would play a bit of Farmville on Facebook, but it was boring.  So I didn't do much.  When my youngest son was in the hospital during his fight with cancer as a baby I didn't have much else to do, so I would play Farmville and Fishville which happened to be two games that he LOVED to watch me play and he would get all excited for the animal sounds and seeing the fish swim around the screen, so it helped keep us both occupied during our long hospital stays.  There is only so much one can do to keep a BABY happy when they are in the hospital for chemo!!

Once we were done with chemo, I was done with the games.  I prefer board games, or card games (like REAL card games not Magic or any of that crap).  I like a good ol game of Rummy, or Spades or four corners, or even some clock solitaire or regular solitaire.  Give me a BOARD game to play and I'll have a blast (I can't wait till the kids open Twister on Christmas day!! I know what we'll be playing that day for sure!)

There has only been ONE video game I ever loved to play (well I did love my old Nintendo 64 I used to have, I was REALLY REALLY good at Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt when I was a kid! I was so excited when we found that game system at a yard sale, it was the only game system I had ever owned until my husband and I got together!)  Other than Mario Brothers...the original for Nintendo 64....I love a game called 'Gauntlet' for the Xbox 360.  THAT game I could seriously play quite often. 

We have a rule in our home, and it's been the rule for many many years.  No playing video games while the kids are awake.  (Well cept the mother in law and I don't care what she does in her room, as long as she leaves me alone).  Video games are something that waits till after the kids are in bed for the night, unless we're playing a family video game (like something with the Kinect that encourages multi player and lots of movement and exercise, then the whole family plays).  Kinect is awesome especially during the winter when it's too cold and snowy to play outside, and great during the summer when it is too hot to play outside, or for rainy days.   It keeps the kids physically active and helps them use up energy when they can't get OUTSIDE (which is where we all LOVE LOVE LOVE to be most of the time!)

We're huge Doctor Who fans round here too. Can't forget The Walking Dead, or Teen Wolf.  So it's not uncommon to see us huddled on the couch together hanging out watching our favorite shows together! Which, sadly we MISSED The Walking Dead this past Sunday!! THE HORROR!!!! I cannot believe we missed it.  However, we hanging out at a neighbors bonfire so eh, hanging out with good neighbors, or sitting home watching TV?  Sometimes it's just nice to chat with friends around a crackling bonfire.

We hosted our own bon fire in our little back yard fire pit a week or so ago.  It was lovely.  I was sad when we finally ran out of wood.  We aren't big drinkers, ok well we don't buy alcohol but maybe once a year and it's usually just one bottle of wine that we use drink a glass of here and there and it lasts us basically all year long. However, we bought a couple things of beer (I had been wanting to try that Angry Orchard stuff, and it was actually quite good)!  We don't do the whole "drunken' idiot" thing so we only bought enough so everyone there could have two beers and that was it. If you wanted more, too bad, go home and drink.  Thankfully all of our friends are like us when it comes to drinking, they aren't big fans of it either.  So once the kids were all tucked in and sleeping for the night us adults hung out and chatted in the back yard.  You can tell we're all getting old...as we were done with our "exciting night" by 11:30.  I was actually in bed and asleep before midnight.  Yep, I'm totally feeling 30.  Oh wait, I've always been like that, ha! I'm not much of a night owl.  I'm more of a seize the day light kind of gal.  We just sat around the bonfire in our back yard chatting, and telling a few "ghost stories" and sharing life experiences. 

I never was one to go out and party, I was more of the sitting at home reading a book, or dancing around singing loudly to my music kind of gal. I mean I had no issue going out and meeting new friends, and having fun but I didn't want to be in a party vibe where there was alcohol and people being stupid and making dumb decisions.  That scene, was not for me.

I'm still that way today, I never went clubbing in my college days (in fact I live right down the road from a club, and I have never been in it and I've lived in this town for over 10 years)! I've been in a couple of local bars, but I went for the karaoke, not the alcohol. I love to be the sober person in the room laughing my ass off at the drunk people, and remind them of all the stupid crap they did the night before, and tormenting them and their hangovers.  I'm cruel like that you know.  Plus I would rather be a designated driver than allow someone to drive home drunk!

Call me white and nerdy.  That's just the way it is.

Mom Circus