Fun and Games

Last night the kids eagerly watched out the front window as they waited for their Aunt and two Uncles to arrive. It's quite a site actually, my five little ones lined up on the couch peeking out into the night! It wasn't long before I heard them all exclaiming together "they're here, they're here!" Our company barely made it through the door before being smothered with hugs and kisses from the kids. I love it!

After things settled down and everyone got some dinner, we moved on to presents. Since my DH comes from a big family, they have a name system for gifts. This year the kids' Uncle Jamie has us. He called me a while back to ask what to get for the kids. I told him to get them a game that they could play together. Well, not only did he listen, but he went above and beyond by getting them not just ONE game, but THREE games, a puzzle map of the United States, and a magnetic chalk/white board with numbers and letters! WOW! Thanks Uncle Jamie!

Right away Hungry Hippos was a big hit. Even my two year old loves it. One of the games is a version of Cranium for Kids. That's a hit with my older kids. I love that they are doing something together, cooperating, and even getting along for the most part. Plus the games (minus Hungry Hippos) are all in some way educational.

I'm so glad that Jamie listened. The games give them something to do TOGETHER besides play the Wii, or Playstation. I limit their time on those. In fact, we've incorporated a system recently where they have to read first, in order to earn their time on the Playstation, Wii, or computer. I'm still working out the details, but I like the idea of encouraging reading. Our kids love to read anyway, but we took it a step farther and have them writing about what they read. Just a short sentence or two about their favorite part, or the characters of the story, or the setting. I think I might even get them each their own notebook to keep track, like a journal.

Yes, there is lots of excitement happening here at our house. It seems like the winter stir-crazies (can I make up my own word?) have been forgotten for now. : )