This week Grandma is in Morocco.  Can you say that, class?  M-O-R-O-C-C-O  She got there via Chicago, Madrid and Barcelona.  She’ll be there for a week visiting with the Moroccan government and several Islam officials regarding the refugees in the Western Sahara.  That’s the Sahara desert.  She’ll return via Casablanca, Madrid and Washington D.C.

Geography is so much more interesting when it’s relevant.  Don’t you think?

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In waltz Sister and Cousin.  The kids have already performed a couple of songs for their adoring family audience and having tasted fame come back prepared with another.  This time they declare they each need a microphone.  Cousin will sing lead and Sister will be the backup.  The song begins (a stirring rendition of “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”)  Sister leans forward, mic in hand, ready and waiting but as the song ends she’s uttered not a single note.

“Weren’t you going to sing too?” the audience queries.

“No,” replies Sister.  Seeing our puzzlement she explains, “I was the Backup singer …. in case he forgot the words.”

What she said -

Dad, I’ll help you rake the leaves.  I’m a good helper.

What she meant -

Dad, I’ll help you rake the leaves into a big pile and then you can push me around in the wheelbarrow and dump me in the pile.  It’ll be lots of fun.  I’m really good at having fun.

Today I am thankful to know that life is growing within me again. For the family that is and the family that will be I offer thanks to the One who not only sees my every step but walks with me along the way.

Brother insists on playing Parcheesi.  It’s his favorite game and yet in all the times we’ve played we have yet to make it to the end of a game in one setting.  It just takes too long and the attention wanes.  Neither child seemed to mind the lack of closure but it was driving me nuts.  So here are some game time strategies I’ve started using to keep me sane. (not just with Parcheesi but with almost anything we play)

Set a timer - We play until the timer goes off (usually 15 to 20 min) and whoever is “ahead” at that point wins.  Be sure to establish what “ahead” means before you start.

Play with fewer pieces - In the case of Parcheesi we often only play with 2 pieces each which automatically speeds the round.  This principle can be easily applied to Candyland (remove the picture cards), Battleship, Uno (deal fewer cards) and a myriad of other games.

Use House rules - If the real rules say a piece can only be played on a roll of five then house rules might allow you to play on fives or ones. Or house rules might allow play on even numbers or multiples of 3.  Besides speeding up the game this is great way to sneak math into everyday fun.

Take a break - If you absolutely must play by the rules consider taking a break before fun turns to frustrating.  Sometimes we break for a few minutes but more often than not around here it’s a few days.  For that kind of break you either need a phenomenal memory or a digital camera.  Here’s a picture of our current Parcheesi game taken over a week ago.

Finally,

Pick short games - Gamewright creates terrific age appropriate games. (We love Rat-a-Tat-Cat and Hiss.) while classics like Connect-Four and SET move so quickly that you can easily play more than one round at a sitting.

Click on over to Shannon’s for more Works For Me goodness.

**something I meant to post back in early Oct.

A local festival with all the standard festival fair… music, arts n crafts for sale and food designed to clog your arteries.

We made stuff with glue and glitter, tossed rings for prizes and

had our faces painted.  All of it was fun 

but nothing else

satisfied like

the Lincoln Logs.

No flashing lights. No beeping. No buttons to push or batteries required.  Imagination a plus.

The Ten Cannots

By William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962)

 1.     You cannot bring prosperity by discouraging thrift.

 2.     You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

 3.     You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

 4.     You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

 5.     You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

 6.     You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

 7.     You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.

 8.     You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

 9.     You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.

 10. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

William J. H. Boetcker was an American religious leader, as well as an influential public speaker.   The Ten Cannots were originally published in 1916.   They are often misattributed to Abraham
Lincoln.

Begin with a discussion on responsibility and some parental hair pulling.  Seriously question freestyle learning methods.  Pull out the curriculum that’s been fairly dormant for some time now.  Organize lesson plans, make a new chore list and be generally hard nosed about “how things are going to be around here from now on.”

Once everyone is (finally) in line, realize that Brother needs a haircut. Go downtown to your favorite walk-in salon.  While Brother gets a trim, you and Sister can have a nice chat with the lady getting her nails done.  Talk about things that modern day generations will probably never experience - like a true barber shop or rotary phones.

Since you’re out and about might as well call Dad and see if he’d like to have lunch.  He would but not yet.

Skip over to the library for a bit.  Oh, look they’re just starting Storytime. How lucky.  Finish Storytime, grab a few interesting books and go meet Dad for lunch.

Back at home help Sister put on an episode of Blue Planet.  Brother seems to be feeling under the weather and wanders off to take a nap.  Mmm, good idea, Brother.  I think I’ll take one too.

Wake up to Sister asking to go ride her bike and Brother working on his 4 billionth Lego creation. Watch the afternoon skip off to play with the neighbors.

Ring the the dinner bell.  Daddy’s gone for a Boy’s Night Out which is fortunate because over dinner the conversation turns to bacteria and viruses and fungus.  All this talk, of course, begs the question, “But what do they look like?” Pull out a couple of books on the topic and peruse the pictures.  “How do they get pictures of things that are so small?”  Pair a curious child with this tool and watch another half-hour fly by. “Eww, fleas look spooky! … “That’s what skin really looks like?!” … “Do you know what else is kind of spooky?  Some dust is made of old skin.  In fact, 90% of the dust in your house is YOU.”  Remember that sometime long ago you had heard this fact.  Wonder where she could have learned it.

Hear Brother coughing and offer to make hot warm chocolate for all.  With the three of you sitting at the table again, might as well pull out some cards.  Play solitaire and SET and Go Fish.  Make a mental note that in the future you want Sister on your team.

Break up the games to get pajamas on and teeth brushed and do all those sundry things that must be done before the day’s end.  Tuck in little man with Uncle Wiggly playing in the background.  Sneak off with Sister to get in a bit of the chapter book you picked up today.

Kisses and hugs and prayers for peace.

Wonder why you ever doubt?