2014 Bucket List - Board Game Day

We decided to start the year off by checking off an item from our family bucket list. New Years Day was game day in our family.

The day started off with chocolate pancakes. Then we headed into a few rounds of SORRY! REVENGE. This is a new game that we received this year, and as such my children's favorite. Unfortunately, S was having a heard day, and due to throwing a fit had to spend most of this round on her bed.

Next we tackled J's new game Titanic, The Board Game. His aunt had given him this for his birthday. We had only played the game once before, the final verdict. . . long. The game is in essence broken up into two parts. In the first part you have to wonder around and get all your required 'parts' to upgrade to first class. Once you are in first class you race to reach the lifeboats before the other players. It would not be so bad, except once you are in first class you can be sent back to second class again and again.

L did not even last through the first part before she collected her stuffed animals and started playing a game on her own. I lasted until the second time that I got sent back to second class. At that point I moved my pawn into my cabin, declared I would go down with the ship, and watched J and S finish out the game.

When they finally finished it was lunch time. . .yes the game was that long! I decided that game day constituted a special occasion and herded the starving masses off to In and Out for some protein burgers and fries. It was nice break from the house, and in southern California it was a gorgeous day.

S did not even make it to the next game before she got sent to rest in her bed. She was tired and opted to stay there for a nap. During this time we had some tournament style games of two person games. We played a tic tack toe game that L got for Christmas, followed by Connect 4. L dominated in connect four (she always got to go first), and I swept Connect 4. However, that is only because the J and L became more concerned about poking out the pieces and making patterns.

At this point I declared a break, L had a bath (the best way to help her calm down!) and the rest had reading time.

We finished off the night with Monopoly Junior Party. I swear this game has the potential to last as long as the original Monopoly game. We just kept holding on. Finally, J lost all his money. I followed shortly after. It was down to S and L when they decided to call it a draw and game day was over. It was dinner time anyway.

Overall, a successful day. It is nice building memories with the children, and even nicer that these memories were as simple as a day spent playing games together. The one thing that I have learned is that a special day does not require perfection. Our days are never perfect. There is always one behavior or another that crops up. However, when my kids look back it is not the behaviors that they see, it is the time spent together as a family. There is nothing more important then that!