When I was a
little kid I was a pretty nasty little walrus.  I liked playing
games…. but only if I won.  That was practically my motto: If I don't win then I don't play.
I was particularily good at chess when I was about 12.

Right after I got married, Geoff the Great beat me in 478 consecutive games of chess.  And I had 478 temper tantrum fits.  It was even worse when my friend Stacey came over and beat me, too.  At that point I decided that chess and I simply needed to part ways and move on without one another.

A couple days ago my 12 year old nephew, Levi, challenged me to a game of chess.  Naturally I said “no”, especially to him, since he’s a smart little whipper-snippet.  The last thing I wanted to do was to lose to HIM.  But since I am the best auntie in the world, I played (after he kept bothering me about it).  Imagine my shock when I actually won.  With that little bit of confidence, I took on my nine year old BoBo.  VICTORY!  Then I took on 10 year old Emmiko.  VICTORY AGAIN! Then I took on five year old Dippy; it was close, but I still walloped him!  So then… with great fear and nervousness, I challenged Coie (Ryann wouldn’t play me, she said she was waiting for me to get better so I’d be more of a challenge *whatever*).

So me and Coie went head to head.  This
is the same Coie whom I whomped in arm-wrestling and the same Coie whom
I can still take down pretty easily in a wrestling match or foot race.  But chess is a whole ‘nother game, my friends.  I'll admit, it was Nervous City for me. She won the first game (because she totally cheated), but the next game was MINE.  I’m the Chess Champion of the Igarashi Universe.  Later this week I may try playing Geoff the Great again.  May, might, maybe perhaps. In the meantime, imagine me doing the Cabbage Patch and singing: Go Je-enn, Go Je-enn

The moral of the story is:  Don’t
let your kids be bad sports or pouty losers (or gloating winners for
that matter) because those traits are practically impossible to shake
off.

The K’NEX contest will be announced officially in tomorrows post.  Click here….JAYBIRD has some great tips on how to win one of my contests

June 8th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

No Responses to ' Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys. Or Chess Players '

Subscribe to comments with RSS

1. MuckFootMom said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 1:38 pm

   Wha?

   “doing the cabbage patch” ???

   Video, please.

2. frogiggie89 said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 1:39 pm

   Untitled Comment

   Oh ho oh, I whooped you something fierce in that game without cheating. Like I said before mom, when playing a game, you have to just assume we are playing by the rules, which you were not.

   The only reason I lost last night is because dad was sitting there making comments the whole time. I challenge you to another game. And while we’re at it, let’s do this foot race that we’ve never done. I could win at that easy. :D:D

   PS- Trying to pants someone does not mean you won a wrestling match.

3. frogiggie89 said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 1:43 pm

   Untitled Comment

   And you forgot to mention that I beat you by about 1,178 points in Scrabble a few days ago too.

4. Buckeyeblog said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 3:14 pm

   Chess Chumps…

   Yep, when I was in Jr. High, learned how to play chess and I immediately whipped my big bro’s pa-tootie in chess and he NEVER won another game he ever played me. THEN…fast-forward about 30 years (yikes!) and our neighbors gave us a beautiful glass chess set that they got for Christmas because they don’t play. Well, Ty doesn’t play so I set out have SOMEONE in the family that I could beat – er, um, I mean – play, so I taught Jenna…who immediately whipped my pa-tootie and I have NEVER won another game I’ve ever played her!

   Hey Coie – LOVE the new picture, Sweetie!

   Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

5. nsremom said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 3:18 pm

   Untitled Comment

   So, winning one out of TWO makes you ‘chess champion of the Igarashi universe.’??? That there is fuzzy math. 🙂

   You sound like such a fun mommy.

6. drewsfamilytx said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 6:35 pm

   Untitled Comment

   For three games in a row, my bratty little brother beat me in only 4 moves.

   Embarrassing, isn’t it?

   And now you know.

   If you’re ever feeling lousy, just call me to play a game of chess with ya. It will surely cheer you up, Miss Smarty-pants!

   Love,
   
   Marshie

7. jayfromcleveland said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 8:31 pm

   Untitled Comment

   I hate chess. I use’ta think I loved it, so in my senior year, I made a snazzy chess board in Wood Shop. (I was a Wood Shop major and senior year I had three periods of it.) So anyway, I spent a whole year making all the pieces, and TO THIS DAY, nearly 30 years later, I have never won a game on that rotten board against a worthy opponent (i.e. someone who actually knows to play chess).

   I wanted to pitch the dumb thing but never got around it to it, and 20 years ago when I started seeing debbiefromcleveland, she took it off my hands to her house. Well who’da thunk at the time that I’da married her and that the stupid chess board would be moving back in with me? So a while back our kids discovered the dusty thing in the attic, and now the dumb chess board is a permanent fixture in my living room, where it will apparently haunt me the rest’a my days.

   I use’ta think I hated chess, but I eventually realized that I hate all games that have winners and losers since I’m always the one who has’ta “be a good sport.” So bag all that, there’re plenty’a other things to do!

8. JenIG said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 8:36 pm

   Untitled Comment

   I hear you, brother!
   
   PS gena said she had a great time at your place. when you gonna invite the Igs up, huh?

9. jayfromcleveland said,
   
   

   on June 8th, 2006 at 9:46 pm

   Untitled Comment

   HA! Promises, promises! You might recall that we DID invite you guys to drop by when you went to Michigan, but you blew that right off and instead met Spunky at Borders! But we will hereby graciously extend an open-ended invitation to the Igs to stay at the Ryan Funny Farm whenever you get around to it. So Gena mentioned all that, huh? Yes, we really showed them the sights and smells of Cleveland, Ohio. It was a fun 24 hours. BTW, the boys told me all the great stories about their “fun Uncle Geoff.” I don’t know if I should call social services or UN weapons inspectors! l8r, j

10. hrlabonte said,
    
    

    on June 9th, 2006 at 9:13 am

    LOL,

    When my husband and I go head to head, I can beat him about half the time, so while I realize that I’m not a master chess player, I’m not horrible either. This past year we taught our oldest to play, and at first I could beat him pretty easily — what a blow it was to my pride when he beat me fair and square this spring! Yikes! Out of the past 20 games, he’s won 6. Oh, did I mention that he’s six years old?!?!

    sigh.

    He still hasn’t beaten daddy, but I want to get our son a book I saw on Amazon “How to beat your dad at chess.” Hah. That’ll teach daddy from feeling so superior! lol.

11. Suzanne said,
    
    

    on June 9th, 2006 at 9:23 am

    You are…

    …just *too* funny!

    Thanks for the cute story you left for Patriotic Friday. 😉

12. quietcajun said,
    
    

    on June 9th, 2006 at 11:21 am

    speaking of Dippy

    Noah asked me again yesterday if he got a letter from Dippy yet. (hint. hint!)

13. UndertheSky said,
    
    

    on June 14th, 2006 at 1:08 am

    This post

    This post was a splendiferous magnificence of late-night reading that I just gobbled up and imaginationed your saying to my face over the smallish dresser in the Gaylord’s marvelous mansion-like hotel room.

    You, my friend, are in due need of special hand-delivered peaches.
    
    Too bad I live in California.
    
    ME
    

Leave a reply