Saturday, February 19, 2011

The Ultra Super Fantastic Magnificently Marvelous Marble Dice Game

OK, so maybe all those wonderful words aren't necessary but the game is so simple and so easy to transform into something that works for your family that the words all apply. While probably not an original idea, I came up with it to help my youngest with counting and recognizing numbers in groups. We started out using only a handful of marbles and one die but we've expanded our game to include /lots/ of marbles and two dice so that the whole family can play.

Step 1: Gather as many marbles as you can find.

Step 2: Get at least one die. If you have tons of marbles, you're gonna need to have 2 or more dice...or a heck of a lot of people playing along.

Step 3: Youngest plays first (or you can roll a die to see who plays first). Roll the die/dice. Collect marbles in that amount and keep them in front of you. Play goes clockwise.

Step 4: Continue play around the circle until all the marbles are gone. The number on the die has to equal the number of marbles you take. If it doesn't (say you roll a 6 but there are only 2 marbles left) your turn is over and play passes to the next person until all the marbles are gone.

Step 5: When all the dice are gone, play continues clockwise around the circle. "How?" you may be asking. Play continues because you want to get rid of all the marbles you've collected. Roll the die/dice and replace that number back into the center of the play area.

Step 6: The game is finished when one person is out of marbles. That person to end up marble-less first is the winner!

We have one child who is so competitive that games are usually out of the question. She takes them way too seriously and ruins the fun for everyone. This game works well because the fun goes all throughout the game and you never know who is going to win until the game is over. It usually works out well for all of us...even the losers. ;)

I hope you enjoy this game! It's easy to modify it for any group of people. All you need is a little bit of imagination and enthusiasm. Happy game play!

P.S. DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN WHO STILL THINK EVERYTHING IS FOOD. MARBLES ARE NOT FOOD BUT THEY CAN HARDLY BE BLAMED FOR MISTAKING THEM FOR CANDY...

Laugh a Lot!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Yea! High Speeds Are Here Again!

Since I last visited my blog, many things have happened! My husband and I have stopped using Twitter, for one. And we also discovered that Twitter was a bit hungry. You might say it had a lot to do with our download usage getting eaten up so quickly. I'm hoping that now we will see a bit more high speed time than we were experiencing.

Another thing that happened is that my husband and I decided to take a little mini vacation. We went to Houston, TX to see a Flogging Molly concert at House of Blues with a good friend of ours. (He's the one who really got us into the band, though we had other good friends saying awesome things about them in previous years. So we're slow! LOL) Here's a great Flogging Molly tune if you are unfamiliar with the band. Flogging Molly has a website and is also on facebook (and probably on MySpace, though I don't know that for sure and suggest it for those wanting to check and see).

I don't think I'll be having anything but a salad next time I eat at House of Blues. For some reason, their food didn't really sit well. I can only hope our server didn't do something awful to it. *shudder to think*

The concert was fabulous! We got to see two pretty awesome bands we'd never even heard of: The Drowning Men (awesome, energetic and steampunk-ish) and Moneybrother (awesome, energetic and happy). You can see The Drowning Men here. Give the video time to get going. It's a pretty awesome concept. :) They also have a facebook page. You can find Moneybrother here. Please do not be offended by the song title. I happened to think it was quite imaginative. :) They were a great addition to the concert. Also, I have gained a bit of respect for people trying to photograph or film anything at a concert with 'standing only' floorspace in front of the stage.

Flogging Molly was simply amazing. We'd love to go again, in spite of John being nearly knocked out by a crowd surfer's boot and me getting a boot to the face by a different crowd surfer. I'm happy to say that most of the crowd surfers were well-behaved and went on back to their places like good little boys and girls. :) There was one guy (who must've been dared) who tried to jump up on the stage. (snicker) The security guy grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him back down pretty quickly. Yea, Security Guy! He was our hero, btw. There were a couple of obnoxious drunken people but on the whole, it was a great experience for my first real concert. We met some awesome people and hung out with a few of the band members for just a few minutes before we decided our aching muscles and joints really needed to rest. LOL I told my husband I should get a medal for wearing heels and standing in them from at least 3:30 pm until 1:00 am or after. (The photo is similar to the ones I have but not exact.) I guess it helped that they were clog-type heels & had a bit of a platform. I'm thankful I had them. My cowboy boots would've been colder and had less traction and my tennis shoes would have offered zero protection from the stomping feet of the crowd. Pushing back an eager crowd is a difficult thing and would've been impossible in shoes without traction. Shoe shopping is in order before the next Flogging Molly concert. :D

We stayed at a really beautiful and comfortable bed & breakfast called Sarah's Bed & Breakfast Inn on the Boulevard. Here's their website b/c you just have to check them out! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. When we walked up to the door, the manager opened it for us with a smile and chatted with us for a bit. He took us on a tour through the house and explained concerns about bad weather and the possibility of icy roads. He also helped us find a reputable taxi company. Our first taxi driver was extremely chatty and an interesting fellow. Our second taxi driver was bit more taciturn but both did the job well. I believe they were from Yellow Cab Company or something like that.

On our way back home, we stopped to eat lunch and visit with my sister & her husband. Unfortunately, he had to work but we still got to visit with my sister and speak briefly to him. It was an awesome shared lunch and we had a good visit. It's only a pity we didn't have more time. I did enjoy my mojito at Cafe Olé but I think my sister had the best meal of the three. She ordered the spinach & cheese fajitas...I think they were fajitas...and I have to say I'm definitely getting that the next time. My chalupas were good but they couldn't beat her meal. LOL

I tried out a new makeup style yesterday. Surprisingly, it worked well! John loved what I did when he got back home yesterday. :) It's nice to hear admiration from my husband and I never tire of it. :D It was inspired from checking out the history of burlesque and some old photos and vintage video footage. It was pretty interesting stuff! Too bad I didn't get a picture.

Well, I guess I'll stop here. These are the major points you should take from this blog post:
1) You're never to old to do something new, such as go to a concert.
2) You /can/ wear heels and stand for hours if you are completely filled with the sheer determination to do so. LOL
3) A bed & breakfast stay should be something you do at least once in your married life.
4) When you're getting tired of the same old, same old, Google & Bing can be pretty good resources for finding new and interesting things. Don't be afraid to try some of them. User discretion is advised, though... ;)

Please let me know if any of the links aren't working. With that, I'll say "Laugh a lot!" See you next time!