Mark and I have always loved games and it is so fun having children who are just the right ages to play too.  Joining Jenna today to share five of our current favorites!

Qwirkle // A little bit like Scrabble and a little like a matching game, Qwirkle is really easy to learn.  The instructions talk about keeping score, but we tend to skip that part.  The older boys like the strategy angle, while the little ones just think it’s fun to match the shapes and colors.  The box recommends ages 6 and up, but my four-year-old caught on fast.   

Spot It Jr. // This is the newest addition to our collection and is quickly becoming a favorite!  To play, you look for the one and only animal match between two cards.  I love that you can play five different games with the same set of cards and they vary in difficulty.  So I can play a simple matching game with Sophie, but add speed with the big kids.  I also love that the games are quick.  

Stratego // My two oldest, at 8 and 6, love playing this one with Mark.  We’re a tad competitive in this family, so the battlefield strategy is fierce.  It takes a lot of planning and deception and it’s fun to watch how their minds work.     

Jenga // I think I love Jenga as much as the kids.  Quick set-up and you can play a few games in 15 minutes.  We also make crazy games like “Who can make the tallest tower?” because yeah, competitive.     

Monopoly Jr. // Monopoly is big in this house in any form.  It’s actually one of Mark’s favorites, but I dread it because it takes forever.  Thank goodness the boys love it as much as their dad.  We started with the Junior version and now the bigger boys have moved up to the original.  We actually own the electronic banking version and it’s great for kids still learning about money in big amounts.  The bank card is so much easier than trying to explain making change for $1 million. 

What are your favorite board games?  

Thanksgiving has snuck up on me this year – I can’t believe we’re more than halfway through November already!  I made a few last minute lesson plans to add to our homeschooling and thought I’d share a few of our Thanksgiving favorites with you!


These three books are ones I take out every year:

• Franklin’s Thanksgiving: Franklin’s grandparents can’t make it to Thanksgiving dinner and he is bummed.  So without telling each other, Franklin, his mom and his dad each invite someone to Thanksgiving dinner, thinking it will make a wonderful surprise for the others.  Imagine the shock when everyone arrives on Thanksgiving morning!  It’s a sweet little story about hospitality.    
• A Turkey for Thanksgiving: Mr. and Mrs. Moose are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but wish they had a real turkey instead of the paper one they have on their table.  Mr. Moose goes to find her one and meets his friends along the way.  When they find a turkey and call to him, he is terrified and runs away but Mr. Moose insists.  The ending is so cute…and unexpected!  My kids love it.  
• P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet: I love the illustrations in this book.  I also like how the story (written in rhyme) is simple, but there are also more detailed information on the edges of the pages…it’s perfect for reading to a variety of ages.    

Need a super easy craft to do before the holiday?  These thankful turkeys are perfect.  I quickly cut the body and feathers beforehand, but a little guy who likes cutting could easily do the same.  My oldest wanted to fill in all of his feathers at one time (he was so excited to be allowed to use the Sharpie!).  Another idea would be to fill in one everyday until Thanksgiving.  

(2) What Shall I draw? and Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals
Need an activity that your kids can do on their own?  Pull out these books!  At first, I wasn’t sure M was old enough to really get the process, but after a quick run through, he was off!  The little brothers would sit next to him, watching quietly as he created sea monsters or castles, birds or helicopters.  These were so helpful when the nausea was especially bad.

So baby J LOVES his binky (that’s our name for his pacifier).  This is new territory for us: M never took one and D was so-so about his and actually weaned himself off before he turned a year.  But J…well he’s a different story.
He uses it for all naps and bedtimes, and honestly would have it all day long if I let him.  J and his bink are BFFs.

Notice I said “bink”.  Singular.  At one point, we had four of them. But for about six weeks, we’ve been working with only one.  One!  Now this where you non-mammas will think I’ve lost my mind, while you current mammas will nod your head and understand the madness.  First, there is only one specific brand he likes…no use trying to convince him otherwise.  I am constantly on my hands and knees searching for that silly thing.  You will frequently hear in my house, “First one to find the bink wins ________”.  There are text messages and e-mails to my husband, telling him I’ve lost it AGAIN and to say a prayer before I go crazy.  There are countless jokes that it needs to have a beep function, so I can find it when it’s at the bottom of the toy basket or between the seat cushions.

Why do I put myself through this madness?  So last night, after baby J literally threw his binkie off the deck, never to be seen again, I bit the bullet and bought another pack.    We’ll wean him off soon enough.  But this mamma needs a happy baby and a Diet Coke! 

Please tell me I’m not alone in this crazy binky madness!  🙂

P.S. I found another mama in the pacifier craziness!  Find her words here.

One of my favorite “kid spaces” in my home right now is located on the bookcase in our living room.  It has lovingly been dubbed “The Art Gallery” and it showcases the boys’ best crafts and paintings.  But after a spring and summer full of fun, the shelf was pretty full.  I’ve had the task of clearing it out on my to-do list for weeks now, but I’ve majorly been procrastinating.  I love to look at that little space and all the memories that go along with the crafts. 

So as a way to record those little memories before they get packed away or hit the trash, I want to share one unit we did this spring: dinosaurs! 

Just part of our dinosaur unit!

I don’t know what makes dinosaurs so appealing, but M and D are fascinated by them.  It was fun to play off of their interests.  I think we learned a lot that week, me included! 

In case you’ve got a little guy at home in love with dinosaurs too, these are some of our favorite books:

• Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish
• Dinosaurs: 4 Favorite Stories (A Scholastic Reader)
• Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki
• Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton
• Dancing Dinos Go to School by Sally Lucas
• How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen
• How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?  (we also have a few more from this series that they love!)

I wish I had taken more pictures of that week!  We did so many fun activities: made a dinosaur from the letter “D”, created fossils from coffee grounds, colored a mini book, had a puppet show, made a T-Rex from a toilet paper roll, ate dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets for dinner and more!

Thanks for taking that little trip down memory lane with me.  I’m excited to create new memories in our learning adventures with my little guys.  So stay tuned, we start next week!

There are so many toys out there…and let’s be honest, some stuff is just junk.  Cheap plastic with bright colors that lose their appeal in a matter of days.  I’m always on the look out for quality toys and materials.  Here are a few that my boys are really loving these days:

Melissa & Doug 60 Piece Standard Unit Blocks
We bought these blocks for the boys as a Christmas present and they have been well worth the money.  I think the quality of these blocks is great and they are very open ended – we have made everything from towers to houses to robots with them!  We keep these in our living room where they are easily accessible, so they are used often!

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Coloring Pad in Blue (I believe they have a girl verson as well)
This big coloring pad has been a HUGE hit with M.  They are big pages with lots of details in a variety of topics.  We currently have at least three finished masterpieces taped to our fridge as we speak!