Picking the Old Maid Every Time

When my oldest child was 3 or 4 years old we'd play Old Maid all the time. Usually my younger brother played along with us. It was always a fun time-full of laughs and jokes-until it got down to less and less cards held in each hand. That's when it became very quiet as the maneuvering and shifting of cards became the game instead of the game itself. All eyes would be on the backs of those cards and how each card was positioned and how each player played the waiting game. That was usually when my daughter blew it-especially if she was the one holding the Old Maid. And if she was the one holding that most unwanted card, she made it obvious by sticking it in the middle of her cards and holding it way above the rest. Of course she was only a little girl but she repeated this strategy every time-and every single time she'd end up with that horrid card and every single time she'd throw whatever cards she had left and go screaming to her room. Funny thing though-she'd always sit down and play Old Maid again next time. Besides being inexpensive, those little packs of cards could be played on a front porch or back porch-in the kitchen or sitting on a floor.Those little packs could go anywhere. It never mattered which game you were playing-Hearts-Slap Jack-Go Fish-Crazy 8's-even Old Maid-they provided time spent with friends and family-even if one might leave the table screaming over and over again.