The 10 Minute Game

A Game a Day Keeps the Grumps Away...

As long as it's a 10 Minute Game!

I love playing games, I really do. However, games that last a long time, require a lot of setup, or lots of instruction, are just not my type. I like simple and fun games that are quick to setup, fast to explain, simple to catch on to, and where play time is ten minutes or less. It is tough for me to justify playing Monopoly or Settlers of Catan on a whim. I do have ten minutes to get out a quick one and have a little fun.

Christmas brought us two, new "ten minute" games. The whole family has already mastered them and we have deemed them as "Keepers". 

Tenzi
This was a gift from my sister's family. It is the BEST! This is a one minute game or possibly 30 seconds (depending on how many rounds you play). Each person (up to 4 players), receives ten dice of the same color. However, each player's dice are a different color. I may have blue...she may have red...he may have pink, etc. Everyone rolls their dice at the same time and the object of the game is to roll your own dice until they are all one number. 
Example: I roll my dice and three of them are fives, the rest are random. I set aside my fives and roll the other seven until they are all fives. I yell "Tenzi" when all ten dice are the same. There are may variations that make it fun and fast-paced. Tenzi is the perfect game to play with younger children, too. We have played it at least 50 times, and we tend to play at least 20 rounds each time the game is brought out. Everyone wants to play so I got us another set so 8 people can play at once. BEST GAME EVER!!!!! 

Spot it
I first noticed this game at a lunch date with a friend. She had her five year old with her, and to provide some entertainment, she took this game out of her purse and this cutie went to town with matching fun. The cards are circular, filled with random items such as a four leaf clover or a paint splat or a lightning bolt. Sometimes the items are big, sometimes they are small. Each player is given one card to begin with. The remaining cards are in a deck with one card turned over. The first person to spot a match between their card and the top of the deck (by shouting out the item) gets the deck card. The next card in the deck is turned over and the matching adventure is on again. Sounds easy? Well, it is harder than you think. Sometimes it takes me 15 seconds or more to discover that I actually have a match, because each card has 10 or so items on it and the object is not always the same size as a previous card. My youngest child received Spot it for Christmas. This is another fun one that takes only five minutes to get through, is fast paced, and addictive. However, since you are competing against other people, some tears of frustration may be shed. 
Tip: If you're playing with younger ones, keep the older kids out. They tend to take over and the little people get upset. A four and six year old play well together, but when the fourteen year old is in, he'll find all the matches and then you'll wish the game was never pulled out in the first place. 

A quick, 10 Minute Game is a great motivator...

"Get all ready for bed and we'll have time to play a 10 Minute Game"
"Go tidy your room and we can play a 10 Minute Game"
"Want to play a game after dinner? East your veggies!"
"Get dressed for the day and we can play a game!" (My 4 year old loves to live in her PJs)
"No more grumps! Cheer up and we'll play a game!"
"Get ready for church by 10:15 and we'll play a 10 Minute Game."
"Let's have a 30 minute quiet time and then we'll enjoy a game together." LOVE THIS ONE

...You get the picture.

I'm developing a 10 Minute Game bucket. When it's time for a quick game, get out the bucket and pick one. Or, have two games going - younger kids on one, older children on the other. 

Stay tuned for more ten minute game ideas. February is our Media Fast Month so we'll be doing a lot more game playing for the next 24 days.

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

May Your Days be Krispy and Smart

“We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? 

I will give you my opinion about it: never, never.”

Brigham Young

For part of our "Be Smart" month of November, we visited Krispy Kreme in Orem to see how doughnuts are made. 

Well, in part. The main reason, for the kids anyway, was to get a free doughnut for every A on their report card...a good consequence and a privilege for working hard! This is a program that Krispy Kreme has had for years:

We received 32 free doughnuts. Yes, kind of out of control. When I told my brother we were going to Krispy Kreme, he told me it would Be Smart to skip the doughnuts altogether. He was probably right.
Krispy Kreme is "SMART". They give away 32 free doughnuts that cost them next to nothing to produce, and they got Dad to buy $5.00 worth of specialty doughnuts. Someone at that company is doing their math and it's more than A = Doughnut.

Nevertheless, we had a fun time together, celebrating their Smarts.

No, I'm not that big of a pig. I was Smart... I only posed with the doughnuts and let someone else eat them. 

Stay tuned for my Be Smart Celebration post!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Write-Downable of Last Week

Grateful for Dates with my Hunk-a-Love!

Write-Downable (n) 

"A statement that is cute, funny, priceless, sensitive, loving, one-of-a-kind, sweet, or spiritual; a word, phrase, sentence, or story that touches the heart of another and is deemed worthy to write down, thus recorded forever and not forgotten."

Word Created By: The Bushman Family

Definition By: Julie Bushman

Write-Downable of Last Week:

In her prayer, "Please bless that Mommy and Daddy can go on a date." (4)

YESSSSSSSSSS! 

Either she is really, really thoughtful, or she likes it when we go. In fact, I could hear my teenage son singing Party on the Dance Floor when we walked out the door a few months ago. Wish I could be a fly on the wall when we're not home!

Things have been better when we get home from an evening out. I used to get upset when we'd get home and the house was a mess, the food didn't get cleaned up, the children didn't get bathed, or nobody was in bed. My expectations were too high and could not realistically be met. I've learned some things that have really helped...

Win-Win Ideas:

Give specific instructions, but limit the list. If there's too much, children are overwhelmed and will give up. Make sure the tasks can be realistically accomplished.

Prioritize the list. Have some Must-Dos and some bonus jobs or money jobs, as my kids call them. You never know when a child will be extremely motivated. You just might end up with a super clean bathroom or an organized pantry when you get home...definitely worth a few dollars!!

Call or text when you're thirty minutes from coming home. That's when the hustle tends to happen. If they get a warning call, the panic sets in and people get moving.

Point out the accomplishments and thank the children for doing them, because they feel appreciated and validated. They'll remember that feeling and will have the desire to be helpful the next time. 

Create an incentive for fulfilling "the list". When all the jobs are done, they can rent a specified movie on Amazon on Demand (I LOVE THIS SERVICE), have a treat, go to the park, go get ice cream (if the babysitter can drive...17 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!) or open up a surprise bag (if Mom plans in advance). I love incentives, don't you? Kids do, too!

Date in Salt Lake - August, 2012

Since she prayed for us to go on a date, let's turn that faith into action. Where are we going, honey?

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Show Me: A Mean Mom Moment

Sing me no song, read me no rhyme

Don't waste my time, show me

Please don't implore, beg on the seats

Don't make all the speech, show me...

...Please don't explain, show me, show me

Michael Ball - "Show Me"

I witnessed a "Mean Mom Moment" a few weeks ago. Well, I didn't really witness it; I heard about it. I felt like doing the old Piedmont High cheer - Be Impressive, B-E Impressive. B-E-I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! Truly, I was impressed by how she handled the situation!

Her son wanted to go see the new Harry Potter movie for his birthday. They agreed to take him when the time came. Being how many almost-eleven-year-old boys can be, he was giving her fits that week...teasing, arguing, complaining, and disobedient. This is how she responded to the behavior:

"Your behavior tells me you don't want to go see the movie. You need to show me that you want to see the movie. Until then, we're not going."

She then proceeded to tell him that he needed to spend the next week "showing" that he wants to go see Harry Potter...be appreciative, respectful, kind, helpful, and obedient. 

Show Me!

I LOVE that!! Seeing the movie is a privilege, not a right. Until you show me with proper behavior that you want that privilege, it's out the window. Actions determine consequences, positive or negative.

Thanks for "showing me" a new perspective on behaviors and privileges! I eat up those Mean Mom Moments!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Sabbath Thoughts: Just Around the Corner

Persistence
The hike went on and on, up steep hills leading to a beautiful meadow.

Carrying a backpack, with the baby inside; encouraging another toddler in tow.

Where is the meadow, oh where can it be? They said it was there but I see only trees

on each side of the pathway, hear bees buzzing, a river trickling and the rustling of leaves.

Another hill in the distance; let's just turn back...the kids are tired and I'm feeling old;

But the thought of the goal keeps us in step, "The meadow is there!", we were confidently told.

Up one more hill, "I can do it, I say". Then the kids out in front shout a triumphant, "Hooray!

The meadow's in sight, just around the bend." What a glorious end to such a long, hot day!
Julie Bushman

In the trenches of child raising, trials and bumps along the way often keep us from "pressing forward". The desire to "quit and turn back" many times takes over, as parents deal with children whom are disobedient, angry, grumpy, lazy, rebellious, sarcastic, unwilling, and stubborn.
I've found that as I climb the parenting hill, thinking a behavior or an attitude in a child will never wane, "sticking to" the path (the tried and true methods) and not giving up, bring moments of joy when the meadow is in sight and the goal is obtained.

What are some of these tried and true methods? Communication, honesty, PRAYER, creativity, hope, opportunity, discipline, late night discussions, hugs, LOVE, encouragement, privileges (or not), TIME, gentleness or firmness,consequences, options/choices, persistence, service, patience, motivation.........

The joy we feel when a behavior is turned, a goal is met, a situation is resolved, a confrontation is softened, a right choice is made, a testimony is gained or a repentant heart takes shape is worth the work of climbing the path!

At the top of the hill...where is the meadow?

We made it!

The meadow (the picture doesn't do it justice)

20 Amazing Troopers!

Most of the time, the joy of the journey isn't climbing the hill. Instead, it's just around the corner!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

See what they can do!

Little ones can do great things, and it's so rewarding as a mother to see them do it.

My almost 3 year old wanted to play on the iPad. I asked her if she had her work finished. (You can't say done. "A cake is done. People are finished." - something I remember from my women's-libber English teacher in high school) She looked at me with glazed eyes as if saying..."Work? What work?" Time to get this little girl moving! I asked her to go make her bed. She fussed. "You need to go make your bed and then you can play on the iPad." She disappeared. I didn't know if she'd really do it or not, but she came back a few minutes later, declaring that her bed was made. 

Pretty good for a little one! I was so excited for her. However, the next day was even better. She didn't even ask me to play on the iPad...she made her bed first. I tiptoed in to get a picture but she caught me.

One other thought...

So, your child wants a privilege? Use it to get something out of them! Oh, you want to go to the pool? Are your chores completed?... You want dessert? Did you do your kitchen job? ...Want a story tonight? Get all ready for bed in five minutes!... You want to go shopping? Is that paper written yet?... You want to watch Diego? Better tidy your room.

Set some expectations, limits and boundaries and see what your little people will do. They'll surprise you!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!