Or is it Love? Either way, something makes my world go round, and it’s definitely my family. I love spending time with them. One of our weekly traditions is to play a game as part of “family night.” Family night is a night where we spend time together singing, talking, learning, eating, and playing games. We look forward to it every week, and we always usually have a lot of fun. Of course there are the occasional squabbles, but, in general, it is a good experience. It centers us and brings us together. With how crazy life gets, we need at least one day a week to slow down and just be together. Without electronics.
Some of my current favorites. This can change at any moment, but I especially love the games that I win!
Don’t get me wrong. I love my electronic devices. They make so many things so much easier. However, it’s really easy to get caught up in my electronic devices (phone, iPod, computer, DVD player, etc.) and not actually TALK to my family. Some days, I’ve found that I was so busy with “important” things that I didn’t really connect with my kids. My bad. Family night helps with that. We turn off our phones, tvs, computers, etc. and spend time together. Real time. My favorite part is playing a game.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I really, REALLY like to win when I play a game. So much so that I’ve made my children cry when I beat them in Monopoly. I try to keep this crazy obsession under control, but it can be a challenge. It wasn’t so difficult when it was Candy Land, and they were little. Now that they’re older, I have to remember that it is still not okay to crush them with my amazingly, winning game playing ability. I need to be nice and sometimes forgo opportunities to beat them so thoroughly that their spirits are crushed. My husband is good about gently reminding me that I may be going just a tad bit overboard.
We love games!
Anyway… Games. Why am I talking about games when this is a Food Storage blog? Well, there are a few reasons. They are cheap, electricity-free, and fun. Let me expound on that.
First, games provide cheap entertainment. Card and board games vary greatly in price, but it’s rare for me to see a board game for more than $40, and that’s the high end of the spectrum with most games falling right around $20. If you consider movies, even if I buy discount tickets at Costco, it’s $34 for 4 tickets. One game is less than one discount trip to the movies, and I can use it over and over and over again.
Second, games don’t require electricity. Most card and board games are played without the use of electricity (other than the lighting in the room, but you can use candles or oil lamps). It’s nice to take a break from all the technology which surrounds us. Also, if there’s a power outage, we have ready-made entertainment.
We have invested quite a bit in games, but I consider it bargain, especially compared to movies.
Third, games are a fun way to pass the time! We love games. That’s why we have so many! Since the early, lean days of our marriage, we’ve played board and card games. John and I loved playing them when it was just the two of us, and it became more fun when the kids got old enough to play with us. Scheming to win aside, playing games really helps build our relationship with each other and our relationships with our kids. There’s nothing like laughing and having fun together to smooth over the rough patches and to soften hurt feelings. Games don’t fix serious problems in relationships, but they can help with the pettiness that sometimes accompanies living in the same house with others. Especially when one doesn’t worry so much about winning as they do about having fun with their family and friends.
Some of my favorite games.
Long story short, games are part of my emergency preparedness plan. If there’s an earthquake, we’ll be covered to live without electricity for days and not get crazy bored or so overworked without a release.
