Apple to Apples and My Parents

Gavi, Keren, & I visited my parents this summer.  Jesse was at camp, and Sean was with the Coast Guard (that's another story)  Unlike most visits, we planned nothing.  This was a visit visit, no trips to NYC or Philadelphia, no museums or historical sites.  It was wonderfully relaxing.  I changed light bulbs, removed screens for window cleaning, and put them back.  I helped cook, shop, and garden.  I was the resident handyman.  The kids plays on their computers and read books.  My mother set up an art table.  They caught fireflies in a jar, and observed them before letting them go.  We hunted for bull frogs in the pond nearby, and watched the local heron do the same.  Gavi & I played catch.  I walked.  Keren swam.

We also played games.  My father never plays board games.  He doesn't have the patience for it.  It's never been an issue, just a fact.  However, this trip Gavi decided that everyone, including Papa Bruce, had to play Apples to Apples.  My father also likes to indulge his grandchildren in anything he considers reasonable.  This include ice cream for meals, Coke as the only beverage, and Pringles and chocolate for dessert.  He tried to say no, but Gavi was adamant.

Here's how you play:
    Each player gets 7 red apple cards, each with a noun.  The judge, a position which rotates among the players, draws a green apple, or adjective, card, placing it face up on the table.  Each player then chooses a noun to "match" the green apple from his/her hand.  The judge chooses the best match.  However, it's not about sense.  It's about the whims of the judge.  Is the match funny, creative, or simply bizarre.  My kids think "bacon" always wins.  It must be a kashrut thing.  The winner of the hand keeps the green apple card.  The winner has to gather a certain number of green apples.

It's a fun game, especially played with my parents.  My mother is literal, choosing the most sensible match, which almost always loses.  My father showed a talent for the bizarre, and quickly became the favorite and the champion, keeping us all laughing aloud.  Gavi insisted we play over and over again.  I look forward to adding Jesse & Sean to this mix during Sukkot.