December peanuts

• Me: "I don't like Civilization Revolution. The defense bonus is too high. Those damn archers killed my catapults." Rachel: "Maybe you should play on the baby level."
• Matthew, grouchy: "This butt paste you gave me isn't making my face feel better." Me: "What did you put on your face? Are you saying you're a butthead?" Matthew was not amused.
• David: "I tell my co-workers that you're one of my success stories. 'My brother isn't exactly slim, but he has muscles now.'"
• Me, muttering to myself: "Alas, poor Small World." [Our game crashed last night.] Rachel: "You were losing anyway."
• Corinna has christened Telitha "Aunt Twilight." I think that's actually pretty cool, as three-year-old nicknames go.
• Matthew did a 5.9 route at the climbing wall, tying his dad. (Telitha matched the same route too.)
• [Dec 25, after unwrapping his new computer] Matthew is on steam voice chat with his friend complaining about "Windows 1.8."
• [Dec 26] I have taken kids out in mismatched socks before. Today Isaac is wearing mismatched sandals. I have no idea what he does with them.
• [Dec 30] Rachel and I have played dozens of hands of Coup. My parents wiped the floor with us tonight, their first time. Dad by the simple strategy of never bluffing. And nobody could read Mom's poker face. [They also clobbered us at Ticket to Ride and Love Letter before they left.]