games | Duck Duck Moose

We seem to be struggling with things that begin with the letter “S” lately – spelling, squash, sage grouse, and sickness.

Mr. A is out of town this week trapping Greater Sage Grouse for relocation to Washington State. And naturally, mid-week I came down with the stomach flu. The blessing was that I was mostly over it when Towhead became sick on Friday. We spent the first half watching TV and working on the basics – food, water, warmth. By noontime we all ventured outside for some fresh air. Does fresh air ever feel bad? It’s amazing how the world opens up when you head outside after being stuck in a house for too long. Funny enough, Friday then turned into one of those whatever-makes-you-feel-good days. As Towhead and Moose walked around the yard and enjoyed the swings I decided to check the spa.

“Mom, can we get in?”

“Please? Spa. We get in ‘pa?”

“Please mom . . . ”

How could I resist? I felt so guilty hopping in the spa. This isn’t what you do on a sick day, is it? It’s not like I can post it as my facebook status, “The sun is out and it feels so good to get in the spa.” Wait, my friends reply. Aren’t your kids home with the stomach flu today? My bashful blushing could probably be seen in southern Oregon where a sleep-deprived Mr. A would sit up, startled. “Is my girl blushing? Yep, there’s that red glow on the horizon.”

But really, when you feel that awful don’t you just search for something, anything that will get your mind off it and make you feel better? And Friday those things were called cream of wheat, movies, sunshine and a spa.

Now as a post-script to the thing that I am quasi-ashamed of (not really), let me move on to something I am much more proud of: Towhead’s birthday celebration. Last year, we celebrated owl-style here at the house with a treasure hunt, games, and a owl shaped cupcake-cake. This year it was all about numbers, numbers, numbers: Towhead chose a math-themed birthday party.

Can you guess her favorite subject in school?

The challenge was thinking up games that didn’t make the kids feel like they were in math class. Here was the final result:

The answer is 205 marbles.

The classic game of “Guess how many marbles are in this jar?” was a fun one that was quick and not too cheesy. (Although I should have let the winner take home the jar. What the hell am I going to do with over 200 marbles?!?)

Our second game was not math related but fit well with the snow on the ground outside. When I saw this on Pinterest I could not resist. How could you not love letting kids wrap each other up in toilet paper to create a TP snowman?!

Say “Brrrrrr” birthday girl!

We split the kids into two groups and they had to compete against each other to see who could wrap the ~~victim~~ lucky person completely in toilet paper and then finish it off by putting on a scarf and hat and taping on buttons. They had so much fun! Though the look on Towhead’s face seems to say it was more fun to watch than to be the ~~dummy~~ snowman. 🙂

This was followed by a math-themed treasure hunt. Last year’s treasure hunt was the highlight of the party. It was also part of the reason I think Towhead wanted to have her party at home again this year. The kids love trying to solve the problem and then running to the next location. It makes for temporary chaos, and with a group this age an adult to help supervise and solve the clues is a must. But, oh-so worth it! The treasure at the end of the hunt was their goodie bags and this:

Oh yeah, and these:

I am always amazed at the girl Mr. A and I have produced. She is quite a character. So resilient, so tough, gentle, and compassionate. She is as strong as she is sensitive. As insightful as she is goofy. I love sharing the world with this creature, even though she has a knack for finding my most sensitive buttons. Isn’t it always the case with the ones we hold close to our hearts?

For instance, her new love is the clock radio she inherited from her dad so that she’ll know what time it is. (aka “You may not come and wake me up until this clock says 6:30am, got it?!!). The freedom to play the radio station she wants to hear without interruption has created a new world for her. The evidence is written all over the door to her room.

“When you enter, music to your ears in Luci’s bedroom.”

Her spelling is atrocious, I admit. We’ve been working on this. A lot. (Talk about torture for a good speller and an English major! Oh, this hurts!) At the same time, I think I want to preserve these phrases in the back of my heart to share with her later: “No one can take music away,” “Music is the best in Luci’s bedroom,” “Beat of music rocks.” I can only smile, shake my head, and take lots of pictures.

And now, for the part I’ve been promising family for over a month . . . (everyone else, you can stop reading here)

Grandparent Bonus:

Here’s what she got for her birthday from the loving grandparents far away . . .

A stargazing book and a new duvet cover

A “Design your own Fairy” drawing kit, a silver fairy necklace (with a little silver tag that says “I believe”), and a kit full of nifty science experiments.