The Game's Afoot

In addition to teaching 5 hours of classes, I also have a class of "actors" last period of the day for a class affectionately called "Speech and Drama". In effect, the school has given me carte blanche to take a bunch of unusual children and give them a safe place to be themselves.

Lately, this means playing board games. Well, sort of.

First, we took on Quelf. (If you've never played, you're missing out on HOURS of excitement!) This was the perfect thing for my goofy bunch!

Then, the piece de resistance: Life Size Clue! We designed the stage as the board, brought in props, and performed as the characters! Each pair represented a character from the classic game. So fun! And it was a great way for this crew to learn stagecraft and terms (stage left, anyone?)

Stay tuned for more episodes from this (clearly) unique class!

Parts of the Family

Two events happened on Sunday evening that brought home the idea of the closeness of family.

Sunday evening at church was Game Night! This time, we had chili & nachos and all wore our pajamas! I love getting together with the church family in such an informal way. It helps us get to know each other, and just be able to spend time together with these people who are such an important part of life. There was a variety of games around the room: CatchPhrase, 5 Second Rule, Apples to Apples, Sorry, Risk, Battleship, and the kids had a My Little Pony card game going on, as well as the PS3 which the hubby brought from home.

I think the highlight for me, though, was watching a couple of 9th graders and a 7th grader play Chutes and Ladders! Most of us played this game as kids growing up in the 70s and 80s. But these 3 young people played it like I've never seen before. They were really into it -- determined to win. But the best part was how much fun they were having! It was awesome to see teenagers REALLY laugh!


Later, after we'd all come home, and everyone in my house had gone to sleep, we heard crying outside the bedroom door. This was about 11:00 at night. My son was standing there outside the door, distraught because he'd forgotten a big project that was due Monday morning. So, we jumped out of bed and got to work. No scolding, or yelling; he'd already been upset enough about it. It was time to put behind the blame and get going on the project. I worked with my son on his writing project, and then we all dived in to the shoebox model of Inuit life. :) Even my daughter got up to make a clay model of a seal for the project! You know what? It only took us about a half hour to complete what might have been days' worth of work.

And here's what really got me. Both of these Sunday events were really about family. Family coming together; family working and playing together; family being there for one another, no matter whether it's fun time or work time.

♪I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God♪

Thanksgiving

What a wonderful Thanksgiving this has been! First, Dad got to come visit. Then, we spent a quiet Thanksgiving at home. And then, Saturday.

Saturday was a great day. The kids' little cousin got to spend the night on Friday evening, and they got to spend the day Saturday running around together. Then, lunch on Saturday became our big family Thanksgiving celebration! All of my husband's family came for lunch. We made brisket, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and stuffing. Everyone else brought sides and dessert. The meal was fantastic, and it was so fun to share our new home with the family!

After the meal, we cleared off the dining room table and played Apples to Apples. (This is a fabulous game that you simply must try! Easy enough for young kids, but hysterical when played with sisters-in-law!) Later, we moved the game to my father-in-law's house to "supervise" the kids.

All the grandkids went down to PaPa's house to decorate his tree and hang up their ornament wreaths. This has become a yearly tradition, and the kids have so much fun. The wreaths are a tradition that my mother-in-law began with her children: each year, a new ornament is added to each child's wreath. My father-in-law has continued the tradition with his grandkids, adding new ornaments to their wreaths every year. And they get to pick the ornaments (fun). The funniest part is that PaPa always leaves the tree decorated in whatever way the kids make it. Here is this year's effort:

In the evening, just as everything was settling down and everyone was departing for their own homes, my daughter's friends began arriving for a sleepover. (I know, what was I thinking, right?) My son fled to PaPa's house for the night, smart boy. The girls had a great time! This is the first sleepover my daughter has ever hosted -- we'd never had the space before! She had a great time, and her friends had a great time, and I had a great time too! Imagine my surprise at being asked to participate in a game of Apples to Apples with the girls! :) My poor husband hid in our bedroom the whole night.

All in all, it was a great Thanksgiving. A memorable holiday, to say the least!

Prepping for Christmas? Try reading some of the great Christmas books by Richard Paul Evans!

Ice Storm 2010

We have officially lived through the ICE STORM.

It began on Thursday, January 28. We were out of school, expecting a little bad weather. It began with the freezing rain, early in the morning. The ice began to accumulate on our trees and electic poles. Suddenly, around 11 a.m., our power went out. "Ho-hum," we thought. "We'll just wait it out." The power is never out for very long.

All through the afternoon, we listened and watched as the branches began to drop from our tree in the front yard. About 1:00, we heard a huge CRASH, and watched as the power line to our house dropped into the street. At this point, my father-in-law was calling on the phone, "Are you sure you don't want to come out? I have gas heat!" We looked out our window. Our driveway was completely blocked by huge limbs that had fallen from the tree. YES, we wanted to come out to the country, but he'd have to come get us in his truck.

By the time he arrived, the weather had changed to sleet, which really stung as it hit our faces on the way across the yard. We brought with us the bare minimum of what we thought we'd need for a couple of days. (We didn't know it was going to be a WEEK without power!)

The first few days were actually kind of fun! The kids read their new "Magic Treehouse" books, and we played lots of board games. Sorry, Disney Monopoly, Mexican Train dominoes, and Blokus. PaPa played "High Card" and "Go Fish" with the kids with an old deck of cards. I even read "Dragonflight" by candlelight! :)

One afternoon when it was still cloudy but not raining, the kids took a ride on the Gator, just to see what the world looked like. It was CRAZY! It looked to me like a tornado had come through, but only hit the trees and powerlines. No wonder we were out of power. I also saw freezing fog for the first time I can remember. Now THAT is some crazy stuff!

The kiddos had fun sleeping in sleeping bags in PaPa's living room. And resting on his couches. Well, pretty much anywhere they wanted. :) Camping inside by the fire has its perks.

We were lucky to have the gas heater and gas stove. However, we didn't have running water, since PaPa's is well water. So, we brought in icicles to melt in a pot to wash dishes, etc. The kids really enjoyed their "icicle popsicles". :) And later, the guys drove into town to get water at brother-in-law's house. (Their family was smart -- they drove to Norman and stayed in a hotel until the power came back on. Although we were glad to have lots of space for the kids to spread out and run around in.)

Over the weekend, the kiddos both got sick. Both ran fevers of 100+ and son had a nasty cough. When they were able to get out and about, hubby & PaPa made a run to Walmart for medicine. (They feel fine now, thankfully.)

By Monday, the "togetherness" was too much. We honestly had no idea how long power would be out. Optimistically, they said by the end of the week. But in the country, it could be longer... So, we decided to head to Edmond to sister-in-law's house. Wow, how awesome is it to have a warm shower!! We also took hubby's grandmother to her sister's house in Midwest City.

Then, Wednesday, surprise surprise -- the power comes back on! Amazing! It's a miracle! So we made the trek home, and began the clean-up. Whew. Now things are back to normal...

Recommended Ice Storm Reading:
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey