We will start of with the good: Anakin and Gypsy Girl snuggled together while watching Backyardigans. I have proof that they really do love each other. Part 2: I took the three kids and voted. When I voted in the past, Mike was home, so I just went alone. I could have also gone when the boys were at school, so it would be just one child instead of three, but I wanted the boys to see the whole process. We walked in, GG in the backpack, and the two boys in tow. I showed Anakin and Luke the voting sheet, and showed them all the names: McCain, Obama, and the other candidates. (I feel a little uninformed because the only other name I recognized was Ralph Nader). I also showed them where you could write in a candidate. We filled out all the circles, and fed the voting sheet into the machine, got our stickers and walked out. I love those teaching moments. They had already voted at school: Luke for McCain, and Anakin for Obama. (He always calls him President Obama, isn't that so cute!) Whereas Luke liked McCain because he was a good man and a fighter pilot.) So it was nice to take them to an actual voting station. When I was a kid the voting took place at my elementary school, so we saw the lines, the booth, but here we vote in churches, fire stations, ect. I'm glad the voting was a good experience becasue it could have been a nightmare, and maybe even ugly.
The Bad: Last night we had Family Home Evening, that isn't bad, it is just what happened. I was actually pretty excited because I had a fun game planned! I loved it when I was a kid, and I guess that I still love it, therefore the excitement! So here is the game, in case you want to try. You have a die, a hershy's minature chocolate, mittens, scarf, hat and knife. The winner gets to eat the chocolate, and here is how you win: you have to put on the mittens, scarf, and hat on, open the chocolate, cut the chocolate in half and eat the chocolate before anyone rolls a six. (You can choose any number that you want). If someone rolls a six, you have to take off all the winter aparatus, and hopefully roll a six before someone gets to eat the chocolate. Well Luke went into hysterics as he was just about to reach for the chocolate bar to open it when Anakin rolled a six. That was the bad--I just can't stand temper tantrums. It was off to time out, and there was hitting (Luke's not mine) all the way. He finally calmed down (after about 30 minutes), and the game was put away (much to my disappointment).
Hopefully not the ugly: later on that night after Luke had calmed down, I asked him if he just didn't understand the rules of the game. He did understand the rules, but said that the game is "boring." Next time he wants to play Payday, which of course is boring to me! Hopefully in a few years we can play the chocolate game without the hysterics, but until then......Payday it is!
11 comments:
He is so honest!! Games are often more boring when you are not a winner--even to me :-) Sounds pretty normal to me. They are just young for the game. Isn't it funny, though, that what we really enjoyed as children does not necessarily appeal to the children. It is a great idea for home evening though!
I remember that game!!
Another fav of my family was called "Don't Eat Pete"
there was this kind of like a bingo card, but with pictures of different M&Ms and every square had a candy of it -and one person went out the room, and while that person was gone everyone else decided on "Pete" -a particular piece of candy- and then the person would come back and start eating off squares, until they picked up Pete and everyone would yell "Don't Eat Pete!!" And then the turn would switch. We loved playing that game! -And of course we always got to split up a pile of M&Ms after. :)
We've played Don't eat Pete as well, I'll have to pull that out, and play it again!
you are a great mom, taking them voting and allowing them to see what the process was.
The behavior, pretty normal. I have 3 sons, and what happened sounds like most days when they were young!
Instead of Don't Eat Pete, we called it "Freddie's Deadie!" I think I like 'Pete' better. It's a little less morbid.
We have game night every Friday with our kids. Some of our favorites: Apples to Apples (fun for our 3yr old and our 40 yr. old!), Pirates of the Caribbean Life, In a Pickle (great sequence game), Skipbo, and Scum. Scum is so fun, but it would take a whole post to explain it. We also play our own version of "Name that Tune" with show tunes, as well as a game we call "The City Game". We made our own game board and game pieces and everything!
Super fun times!
Sue, I love all those games except in a pickle. I will have to check it out. I like the game night every Friday. We have watch a movie and sleep on the couches tradition right now. It makes Friday fun!
I LOVE it when FHE ends with crying and hitting and screaming -- the kidlets, not me. I would never yell at my kids during FHE. Never!
Are most successful game for all ages came from my daughter. We take a piece of paper and draw out squares (like about 3 inches by 3 inches). Then in each square we draw a weird line. A scribble or straight or curved whatever. Then we pass the paper around and they have to make a picture in the square out of the scribble thats in there. We usually have themes too. Like Thanksgiving etc. It is so cheap and we laugh so hard at what we come up with. Have a continued fun time right. :)
Good for you taking your kids to vote!
That sounds like a really fun game. I'll have to remember that one, although I think my 7 & 12 year olds could still be capable of throwing a fit if they lose their chocolate. And of course we'd have two dogs trying to steal the chocolate too. Maybe I'll just eat the chocolate instead.
popping my from embrace the chaos...
What a wonderful experience to have with your children.
I wish I had taken more of those opportunities when my kids were around.
by the way...I LOVE THAT GAME!
I heard the talk online. If you go under findatalk.com then type in Michael Wilcox you will see several of his talks pop up. I love all that he has to say and the insights. This one was under families under fire. You have to download the audio
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