Our Last Winter Weekend

It was raining in Connecticut but snowing in Vermont where we were staying last weekend.  Sixteen inches, in fact.  Beautiful!  And Vermont is wonderful about keeping the roads clean, though less devoted to stairs and paths--mainly because everyone is hearty and in boots, I think.  (I can't imagine what folks with mobility issues do up there.)  I loved having a last winter hiatus, especially as I type this in the middle of a Connecticut spring rainstorm.  An added bonus?  Uncle Goo joined us.

A few highlights:

• SNOW!  Oh how I love snow.  Snow on the evergreens, snow on the fields, snow on the houses, snow on the mountains.  Falling gently.  I watched it most of Saturday.  I was, however, unprepared for the hugs glacial chunks sliding off the unique Vermont metal roofs with disturbingly-loud thuds.  Frightened me the first few times.  Surprised us all.  Who know you had to watch for falling icebergs?  Turns out, all Vermonters know (because apparently there are tragic accidents every year.)  






• So, we were very prepared for the snow, with all of our winter gear.  I even did alright in my boots, with my crampons on.  But, my coat had been left behind, which we didn't realize until we were there.  Thankfully, Goo had an extra jacket that would keep me dry and under which I could wear layers for warmth.  Saved the weekend because, though we checked, there weren't many coats left on the sale racks.  
• I love the VERMONT COUNTRY STORE!!!  Sure, it's a touristy institution, but I love the diversity of goods from soups to nuts, hats to hand lotion.  We got our usual favorites--Vermont Common Crackers, "Today's Cut" cheese, Vermont Summer Sausage, chocolates for the kids--and a few other things like a little pair of earrings for me, vanilla orchid hand lotion, wild blackberry lip balm, a carousel tin of caramels (I have a thing for carousel tins.)
• MacLaomainn's Pub:  our evening meal on Friday at the local, family-friendly Scottish pub, owned by a real Scotsman.  Goo got haggis, which Bud loved.  The rest of us had less adventurous fare--cock a leekie soup, auld reekie beef stew, bangers and mash, mince with tatties and skirlie (an onion-and-oats saute), and sticky toffee pudding.  SO good.  
• Games, games, games.  How is it that I belong to a family of gamers?  Goo loves them, all types.  The kids and Mama are a bit more selective but will try most any game once.  We played Uno, Oregon Trail, and Snake Oil.  In Oregon Trail, I "died" of a snake bite and Bud wrote my tombstone like a FB post.  "Marmee died of a snake bite.  Comments (1) So Sad.  14 likes."!!!!!  Snake Oil has you pitching fantastical products (using the item cards you are dealt) to a customer with a particular profile (hermit, rap star, Viking, mortician, etc.)  Goo was wonderful at voices and banter.  The best product?  A "Meat Beard" for a Viking.  There were also computer games--Goo brought his new Nintendo Switch and Bud got to play a bit of the new Zelda game, Breath of the Wild.  He was ecstatic and talked Zelda all weekend.
• SKIING  Mama and Sis hit the slopes at Killington, while the rest of us did our own thing.  I crocheted and Zentangled; Bud and Goo went off wandering together.  The first day of skiing was very hard and challenging, with snow falling and lots of powder.  Sis, who had taken to it immediately, had a lot of trouble with it.  But the next day was beautiful--blue skies and groomed slopes--and she persevered and had so much fun on the slopes.  She and Mama met one of Mama's coworkers who took them on the most appropriate trails.  Sis learned a bunch from him (he skies almost weekly and has a house up there; the mountains are his backyard.)

  

  
  

  
  
  
  











• I went on a mountain peak!  For most of the ski time, I sat in the K1 lodge at the bottom (well, not the very bottom) and crocheted while watching the beautiful snow.  It was just amazing to see the skiiers and snowbaorders.  And I had a beautiful view of a little rivulet and some trees.  But on Sunday afternoon, I went with everyone on the gondola up to the very top of Killington.  I was petrified at first, not liking heights, but I got used to it. And when I could look out--to the peaks of New Hampshire and also New York--it was amazing.  I didn't quite like walking around on the snowpack, scared of falling off a mountain, but I did love the view.  I admit to shedding several tears at the sight (and for my pride of quite literally conquering the mountain, so to speak.)   






• GLASSBLOWING:  Mama finds the most interesting activities and is the best travel agent.  We were all excited by our personal glassblowing lesson at Hot Glass in Manchester.  It really is an amazing process.  And though I'd seen the like on tv and studied the glass of Egyptians, Romans, and Gothic cathedrals, it's amazing to make the magic with your own hands.  Though, I was definitely very wary of the molten glass and hot steel.  But no burns.  And we made the most amazing articles:  Goo made a blue carafe; I made an "opal rose" and white flat-bottomed vase; Mama made a forest green and white cylindrical vase; Bud made a red and white wavy bowl; Sis made a pink and teal regular bowl.  Bud's was the most amazing to watch, as he and our teacher dipped his molten sphere in a wavy mold and then spun out the now-wavy lump that flared into a beautiful bowl.  We picked them up the next day and they're all lovely.  






• Country Girl Diner and Sugar & Spice:  two more delicious meals, both with pancakes!  Country Girl Diner is even in an old polished-chrome dining car.  
• We were supposed to go dog sledding, but the heavy snow coupled with some quick meltage made conditions unsafe for the dogs.  Next time.  Besides, with the free time, we were able to take that gondola ride.  And I have a feeling we'll be back in Vermont next winter!

Fall Fun: I Love VT

A quick list of free associations and memories of my first foray into Vermont:

• a beautiful welcome center with homemade baked goods to raise money for a food pantry--oh, the cider doughnuts and blueberry cobbler!
• mountains, mountains, and more mountains
• foliage--the mix of greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and deep red-purple always make me want to quilt
• Vermont Country Store--I never knew it was real, thought it was just a catalog company for years.  But it's a big, real, quirky, nostalgic tourist draw (not quite a trap because the goods are mostly quality.)  Got a Shoot the Moon toy for the kids.  
• Bryant House Restaurant--an old soda fountain, Johnnycakes that looked like corn muffins, Sis said they were the best fries ever
• Maple Creemee--it's a maple soft serve with some chew, kinda like frozen custard
• Mt Equinox--oh, my gosh, I went up a mountain.  Sure, we were in a car, but I didn't panic.  And I even sat sorta near the edge, contemplating time, life, and beauty.  Beautiful views, including a hawk soaring below us.  3,848 feet high.  The scent of balsam.
• Inn at Long Trail--Lincoln logs come to life, with an Irish twist.  
• Pop hiked Deer Leap Trail before we arrived, all the way to the ledge--scary!
• Pop made the kids western juniper walking sticks! (And we only sword-played with them once.)
• Quechee Gorge--we hiked about a mile, up and down beside the deep gorge.  I was impressed with myself (again.)  Thanks to Pop's loaner walking stick, I didn't eat dirt or sprain anything when I tripped on a rock.
• VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Studies)--raptors, including Snowy Owl!  Also Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Kestrels, Peregrine, Red Tail Hawk, Broad wing Hawk, Ferruginuous hawk, Great Grey Owl, Barred Owl,  Great Horned Owl, small Eastern Screech Owls, and two beak-locked ravens. Nice rehab center and tour of the enclosures.
• Worthy Kitchen--introduced Gommie and Pop to poutine!
• Sugarbush Farms--maple, cheese, and condiments tastings!  Mmmmmmmmm.   Sis loved the huge horses and the bunny
• KING ARTHUR FLOUR--Bake for Good Month and tasty wheat bread, Sis got some mixes, just delightful, except they were out of the 13" Pullman Loaf pan I wanted and I never got through to order from customer service (we got there late in the day so there weren't many choices in the bakery, sad to say, but the chocolate chip cookies were good and the chai latte was excellent.)
• Checkers, chess, pinball-like baseball game, more chess, more checkers--loved the game room at the Inn
• meals at the restaurant--loved the Irish brown soda bread with raisins, Guinness stew, and the pancakes in the morning.  Sis liked the hot chocolate.
• Maple syrup, creemee, ice cream, hard candies, lollipop, candle, bacon, fudge, butter . . . . 
• live Irish music--I think my Aunt Sis would have loved this place (and its rustic charm)
• beautiful morning sunrise--Bud very thoughtful ("Can you imagine living like this?  With the mountains and sunrise everyday??")
• that lovely Vermont lake (Kent pond?) surrounded by mountains and foliage and dramatic clouds
• Thundering Brook falls--an accessible hike to the waterfall and more reflections on science and geological time by Bud, plus a few steps on the Appalachian Trail
• We see a Bald Eagle in a tree by the road!
• Billings Farm Museum--new calf, huge draft horses, sheep, maple and pumpkin and caramel apple ice creams, a farm house with modern conveniences and a dairy.  Bud square dances with Gommie.
• Lunchtime sandwiches from Woodstock Market, which we eat back in the Inn
• I think I'd like Woodstock, not sure about Manchester, for our next visit
• three covered bridges in the area, though I don't know what their names are.  We drove across a red one to get to Sugarbush.
• Mama goes to VINS photography class--she got great pics!--and Vermont Flannel Store
• I get the restaurant's soda bread recipe!
• Oregon Trail game with everyone (Mama died by snake bite, Bud and I by dysentry, Gommie because she didn't have a coat, and Sis by typhoid fever.  Pop lived, even though he kept breaking the wagon.)
• We don't watch the debate.
• chilly night near freezing, felt good
• more hiking on Long Trail/AT for Gommie, Pop and kids, on the bit across from the inn
• how many games of chess and checkers did the kids play with the grandfolks?  It was a highlight.  Pop said it was no-holds-barred--and he did manage to beat them a few times.  I lost a lot.
• another beautiful Vermont lake (Echo Lake), glittering and clear
• a chainsaw art festival!  We got some owls
• and lunch nibbles from the other Vermont Country Store on our way home--cheeses, Vermont common crackers, summer sausage, and maple nuggets (a whole lot like Buc-ee nuggets!)

What a wonderful weekend!

View from Mt Equinox

A tree at VCS

Inside the Inn at Long Trail

See, Lincoln Logs

Thundering Brook Fals

On Thundering Brook Falls Trail

More of the accessible trail

A lovely lake--Kent Pond, we think

Billings Farm Museum

Quechee Gorge

Echo Lake

Chainsaw art

Reviews

Here are some of our current favorites:


Timeline American History game:  It's not exactly fair of us to play this game of sorting historical dates in order with the kids, given that they haven't really had much American history and only lived 11 years.  Actually, they do quite well (especially having played once, they remember the dates better than we do) and we have fun playing.


Rock Me Archimedes game:  This game is like Jenga with marbles; steady hands are needed.  And strategy like checkers or chess to block your opponent.  Fun!


kazoo magazine:  A new magazine for girls that isn't "girly."  We all like it.


"Speechless":  The new ABC show starring Minnie Driver about a family getting along, including their son with cerebral palsy, played by an actor with CP!  It's witty, humorous, insightful.  Just don't call it inspirational.


"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell":  Mama and I are enjoying this BBC miniseries based on the award-winning novel about an alternate history of Regency England involving practical magicians.


"Crimson Fields":  A BBC WWI centenary show, following nurses in a Red Cross hospital in France; only 6 episodes but delightful.


"Home Fires":  This is a BBC WWII who, following women of the Women's Institute during the war, based on the book Jambusters.  More episodes than "Crimson Fields," but not quite as good, I think.


Roasted Carrots:  I made these the way I make sweet potatoes or butternut squash, meaning 1/4 cup brown sugar, some olive oil, and some salt, baked at 425F for 30+ minutes.


Chicken and Peas pasta:   A mozzarella cheese sauce (2 T butter, 2 T flour, 1 cup milk, 2 cups mozz) with cooked chicken and green peas over rotini or penne.


Meatballs:  I use my Wildtree meatloaf mix and roll it into small balls, baking at 375F for 15-30 minutes, depending on size.

Highlights

So much to tell, so little blogging time while summer continues and school preparations begin.

We had a MARVELOUS time with Gommie!  And, as you saw from my earlier list, we managed to squeeze so much in--and that's with a very slow Tuesday when everyone was tired and blah (both kiddos seemed to be fighting something virusy.)  I'll spare you a day-by-day description in favor of highlights, in random order.



Schooner:  It's a tie for my favorite thing we did while Gommie was here, but since I hadn't done a sunset schooner cruise with lobster dinner before, I vote for it.  We headed to the port midday, stopping first for a quintessentially New England lunch at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in picturesque Noank.  In a series of little shacks, we picked up lobster salad rolls, steamed mussels, steamed corn, frozen hot chocolates, apple crumble, and lemon slab pie with ice cream, all of which we ate overlooking a brilliant blue Sound with lots of white sailboats.  I felt like the cast of Carousel would burst out singing at any minutes!

Then we headed to the dock in New London where the Mystic Whaler was waiting for us.  It's a I-don't-know-how-many-feet-long schooner built in the 1960s and refurbished.  With three sails and wooden decks and detailing, it felt older to me and transported me back to the great age of sail (without all the danger and hassle.)  New London, of course, was a major seaport in the country's colonial past--we even sailed by Revolutionary War-era Fort Trumbull and another fort.  We cruised out past the London Ledge light and got some great photos.  Gommie, Mama, and the kids even helped haul the sails while singing a chantey! It really was idyllic.  And the food was good, too.  There was clam chowder, lobsters, tasty grilled chicken for me and Sis, coleslaw, rolls, and cheesecake.  Even though there were two dozen or so other passengers, it never felt really crowded.  And the crew was especially helpful and nice.  I think it'd be lovely to take an overnight cruise with them.  I know Gommie had a great time, which made it extra special to be able to find something new for her.  Being on the water and dusk are two of her favorite things.  Though, she refrained from calling it "the nicest time of the day."

Cats:  Our trip into NYC was a close second to the schooner cruise, especially because I think the kiddos had never been in the city with Gommie before.  We spent the day around Times Square, which is familiar to all of us, albeit never all together.  In fact, we really did the tourist thing, quite embarrassingly (and jokingly) pointing at tall buildings, stopping on the sidewalk for selfies, and going to tourist traps!  We did not, however, wear "I (heart) NY" shirts!  Our first stop was Madame Tussaud's, where there was a virtual reality Ghostbusters experience.  The kids and Mama loved donning the proton packs and hunting ghosts, but I didn't even try (the packs were 15 lbs) and Gommie got disoriented by the VR and stopped when it malfunctioned a bit.  The rest of the place was mostly uninteresting--the kids didn't know 90% of the figures and couldn't have cared less.  We did see a few they liked--Katniss from Hunger Games, some of the Avengers, and three of the Ghostbusters women--and decided if the whole place had been geeky was statues--Doctor Who, Star Wars, Pokemon, Studio Ghibli, etc--we would have had a blast.   Gommie did really enjoy posing with Hillary Clinton, too.

We had dinner at Sapporo, our favorite quick pre-show eatery (don't forget that it's a cash-only place!)  Sis and I had our usual katsu chicken cutlet, to which she added gyoza and I added the potato salad with sesame-Japanese mayo dressing; and there was the yummy house slaw and soup.  Bud got soupy noodles (because there was enough time before curtain) and Mama got cold noodles.  Gommie got this delicious gyun-don shredded beef rice with sukiyaki sauce (I think), which I think I'll get next time.

In the time before curtain, we perused both Hershey's and the M&M store, neither of which Gommie had seen.  Then, because it was hot out and we were a little tired, we sat in the Crowne Plaza--where there was the Liberty City Anime Con!  Gommie got to see all the cosplayers!  It was the perfect NYC people-watching spot.  With seats and AC!

Then it was time for Cats.  We had great seats, second row Orchestra on an aisle; we don't usually sit that close at all, but it was great to see the elaborate garbage set and the amazing dancers close up.  And, during all the action, numerous cats ran down the aisle beside us.  In fact, Rum Tum Tugger was flirting with me!  (I had the aisle seat.)  At one point during the show, some cats pretended to take a photo of Tugger and me together.  Later, when he came down the aisle, he purred, "How do you like my fur?"  And yet again, he winked right at me from stage later.  Funny.  You're a cute kitty, RTT, but not my type.  Amazingly, during intermission, they let you up onstage to take photos with Old Deuteronomy!  We didn't know this so Mama and Sis had left for the bathroom and missed it, but Bud and I went and Deuteronomy played with Bud's hair (or, made a gesture similar to one he made in "Moments of Happiness" about memory.)  It was amazing to see the house from the stage; Bud grinned from ear to ear the whole time.  I was really sorry Sis missed it; so was she.  The show was pretty much exactly how I remembered it from when Gommie and I saw it on tour in Houston, in, oh, the early 1980s.  Though, there wasn't any "Growltiger's Last Stand" this time.  I loved it then and I loved it again.  Maybe even more sitting with my mom, my wife, and my kids, all of whom were enthralled.  We've been humming the songs ever since.  And both kids read T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

After the show (and the purchase of some pins and magnets and a eared hoodie for me), we had our requisite trip to Junior's for snacks for the ride home--chocolate egg creams, cheesecake, black and white cookie, Cel-ray soda, and some French onion soup for Bud to eat the next day.  I think we weren't asleep until 2 a.m., but it was worth it.


Food:  You know we love to eat out.  In addition to the Japanese food mentioned above, we ate at our favorite local Japanese place (after going to see Kubo and the Three Strings; more below.)  Mama, Bud, and Gommie had a big boat of sushi, while Sis had a chicken udon stir fry and I had chicken teriyaki.  There were also gyozas, harumaki, soup, salad, green tea, and mango mochi.

We also took Gommie to a new German place we'd found, since we know she loves sausages and sauerkraut.  The table was groaning with a sausage tasting platter (kielbasa, weiss weiners, and something else), raclette (cheese on potatoes and pickles), big buttered pretzels, currywurst, jaegerschnitzel, chicken schnitzel, cold potato salad, steamed mussels, apple strudel, black forest cake, and I don't remember what else.  Whew!

We also got take-out from the Italian deli, with various chicken parm and meatball grinders, seafood salad, chicken cutlet salad sandwich, etc.

I almost forgot the meal her first night at a local bistro--steamed mussels in wine and garlic (the better of the two mussels she had this trip), hummus with olive gremolata, salt and pepper shrimp, homemade bread, and roasted chicken.

Other food included the best local doughnuts, my own sourdough biscuits, Sis's oatmeal lace cookies

I'm sure I've forgotten a few places--I don't think I cooked much if at all.


Movies:  As a family, we've been going to more movies this year and we saw two with Gommie.  First, the kids wanted to take her to the new Ghostbusters, which she hadn't even heard of, to prepare her for the Ghostbusters experience at the wax museum.  She laughed through the whole thing, which was entertaining to Mama and me, since we know it's not her kind of film.  I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.  I think I liked Holtzmann even more this time!

On preview night, we went to see Kubo and the Two Strings, which Bud had wanted to see since spotting the first trailer.  And then we learned that the brother of a friend of mine was the production designer.  Wow!  It was a masterpiece.  And I'm not just saying that because Sew and Sow reads my blog sometimes.  It was beautifully made--with this incredible stop-motion technique--with papers and fabrics.  Oh, the flying origami!  The original story seemed taken straight from Japanese folklore (and I loved the details of the samurai armor, netsuke, wabi sabi-like rice bowl during a meal, the cemetery and lantern ceremony, etc etc etc)  And what a story!  No spoilers here, only to say I loved the non-violent resolution.  If you go--and you should--stay for the credits; there's a behind-the-scenes bit that Bud tells me shows the largest stop-motion sculpture ever made (how does he know that??)  We talked about it for a few hours straight--over a Japanese dinner, no less.  Oh, and we even got free little pins because it was preview night.


Maple Syrup Incident:  This was on my list so I feel I must explain it.  While trying to get food on the table before Bud had to go to kung fu, I realized an entire jug of maple syrup had been de-capped and upturned in the fridge, spilling all over not only a shelf but in both crisper drawers.  UGH.  Gommie saved the day with her thorough cleaning.  And Sis finished cooking Bud's dinner while I helped Gommie.  Bud was oblivious to it all and, probably wisely, stayed out of the kitchen.


Pokemon Go!  Gommie had a thorough introduction to the VR world of Pokemon when Bud directed her around town for two hours hitting many of the best Pokestops.  I believe she even got one herself.

Clockwise from left:  Sis, Gommie, me, and me again

Clockwise from left: Sis, Gommie, me, and Bud

Gommie's new tiles.  She really likes lace, on the bottom tile.

Zentangle:  Last but not least, we did some tangling.  Gommie poured over my new books and practiced some new tangles.  And we all made a couple of family mosaics together.  I had gotten Gommie a special Zentangle "No Mistakes" t-shirt and also some little carrying-pouches for supplies that we decorated.  It really is a wonderful thing to do together.  And she's gotten really good!


Games:  The kids save a lot of their game playing for Gommie, because she is so enthusiastic about it.  They played checkers, Simon's Cat, (tried to play) Harry Potter Clue, the 5-Second Rule, and Rummy Q.  We all played Telestrations, which Gommie picked up for us, a kind of old-fashioned telephone game plus Pictionary; we laughed and laughed at some of the outcomes (including "chicken man with furry face," "narwhal with legs," "bird in a pie," etc.)  Gommie was also game to try the Wii games Fantasia (directing an orchestra) and Just Dance (like Digital Dance Revolution.)  And we all told her all about Dragonvale.  Plus, of course, Pokemon Go, as described above.

And that's about it.  Sure, Gommie went to horseback riding lessons, kung fu lessons, piano lessons (albeit in the house), and ice skating lessons, too, and there was down time swimming at a neighbor's pool, watching Olympics and such.  But, mainly, I think we squeezed in as much as we had energy to do.  And we started making plans for next time!!!

A New Toy

Yep, the family has a new toy.

Actually, I have two new toys.

All of us are playing Pokemon, the app that's taken the world by storm.  I should specify that I'm not really playing--Sis is playing on my phone.  It certainly makes riding in the car more fun--she plays in the backseat while I drive.  But we've also walked around the neighborhood and the town green a few times, with dozens of other people, staring into their phones, not talking to anyone.  It looks like a scene out of Doctor Who, when everyone stops to listen to their ear pieces; it's kind of creepy.  Mama has played with Bud and Sis, too.

The other new toy I have is the DragonVale app.  Mama and the kids have been playing for a long time, years even, for Mama.  But I'm not much for games.  The only other ones I've even tried are Mario Kart and Splattoon.  But Bud was so excited to show me how it all worked that I downloaded it on my phone and have been dabbling ever since.  I'm not really into advantageous breeding of dragons or the like, but I do like decorating the little island--I have a rose garden, flower beds, a thatched cottage, and a half-timbered building.  And the dragons are cute when they're small.

I guess I've finally entered the 21st century.

Sock Fun Left and Right

We had our Mother-Daughter Book Club holiday party last night, which was loads of fun.  Each family brought a read-aloud book and a wrapped pair of fun socks.  After reading several of the Christmas picture books--Sis had me perform Cajun Night Before Christmas in my best Cajun accent--the girls exchanged the socks by playing a special game.  They sat in a circle while the host read an adapted Twas the Night Before Christmas with the words "left" and "right" included, directing the girls to pass their wrapped socks either way.  By the end, they all had a different pair of socks.  Sis got the pink ones, above, having brought the long red-striped ones to her right.  Then they ate cookies and hot chocolate.  It was a sweet night, simple but fun.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Here's the amended story, in case you need it for a gift exchange.  Cute idea.

Twas The Night Before Christmas Story

Twas the night RIGHT before Christmas
when RIGHT through the house
Not a creature was LEFT stirring, not even a mouse—
The stockings were hung RIGHT by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be RIGHT there
The children were nestled RIGHT snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced Right around in their heads
And mama LEFT in her kerchief, and I LEFT in my cap
had just settled RIGHT down for a long winter’s nap,
When RIGHT out on the LEFT lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang RIGHT from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the RIGHT window I LEFT like a flash;
Tore open the RIGHT shutters and threw up the LEFT sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
LEFT the luster of mid-day to objects RIGHT below
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver RIGHT lively and quick;
I knew RIGHT in a moment it must be St. Nick
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came;
And he whistled and shouted, and called them RIGHT by name:
“Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On Comet, on Cupid, on Donder and Blitzen!
To the RIGHT top of the porch! To the LEFT top of the wall!
Now dash away, dash away, dash RIGHT away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
When they meet RIGHT with an obstacle,
mount RIGHT up to the sky,
So RIGHT up to the housetop the coursers they LEFT flew,
With a sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas, too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard RIGHT on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little RIGHT and LEFT hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around
Down the LEFT side of the chimney St. Nicholas
came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur,
RIGHT from his head to his LEFT foot,
And his clothes were all LEFT tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he flung RIGHT on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His RIGHT and LEFT eyes, oh how they twinkled!
His dimples? Oh how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was LEFT drawn up like a bow!
And the beard LEFT on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held RIGHT in his teeth,
and the smoke– it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a round little belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was RIGHT chubby and plump,
a RIGHT, RIGHT jolly old elf,
And I was LEFT laughing when I saw him in spite of myself.
A wink of his LEFT eye and a LEFT twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing LEFT to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went RIGHT straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; LEFT to RIGHT,
then turned with a jerk
And laying his finger to the LEFT of his nose,
And giving a nod, he LEFT… Up the chimney he rose.
He sprang RIGHT to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all LEFT like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, as he LEFT—out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all—to all a good night!”

More Couch Love

We're all settling into and starting to enjoy the new couches, even though I've become "screechy mom"--"don't eat near the couch!" and "did you wash your hands before sitting down?"!!  (It won't last long because there will be a first spill, probably sooner than I'd like.)   I've even chastised Hermione cat a few times as she stretched and scratched.  Not that she really cared.  The cats are picking their spots.  Mr. P likes my seat in the corner, though sometimes he likes the ottoman, which is also Albus's favorite.  Hermione likes the back of the loveseat.  

As for people, we can all fit happily (and because the couches are the same support-wise, I can sit anywhere), if the cats aren't around, which is what we did last night when Goo stopped by.  After dinner--no more eating in the living room (screech!)--we all sat around playing SpaceTeam.  If you like cooperative games and science fiction, and have a smartphone or iPad/tablet, give the group game SpaceTeam a try (you must have 2-4 players on different devices on the same wifi network.) We had a great time playing last night, as we piloted our own ship by yelling commands at each other ("Switch on the hyperdrive!" "Set turboquark to 2!" and the like), shaking through asteroids and wormholes, while completing a certain number of tasks to advance--and some of them are really funny, like "infuse the tea!" and "alphabetize the bookshelves!" Such fun, wacky, like our own version of Spaceballs The Movie.  The kids love playing with Goo.

Freezing

It is BRUTALLY cold outside.  It was -3F this morning, with a windchill around -29F something.

And guess what?  Lambeth, our pipes did NOT freeze!!!!

Mama had gone to great lengths to seal the basement and wrap various pipes, using the guidance of her new thermal camera attachment that shows heat gradients (which is also just fun in general--she's taken photos of the kids, cats, and even a boat of sushi!!)  It was very gratifying to discover that all of her efforts worked.  And we like having a working dishwasher and kitchen sink.

But the sun is out and the snow is beautiful.

Though, Gommie has taken to wearing her thermals 24/7 because, even with our turning up the heat several degrees, she is still just cold.

When we're not focused on the cold and snow, we're still having a great time:

• We skipped church yesterday because of the 45 mph winds and occasional white-outs from blowing snow, instead staying in jammies to play games and tangle;
• We did, eventually, go out to a hockey game yesterday, Gommie's very first.  Our local team isn't doing very well--we have lost several of the games we've been to and we're almost in last place--but it was still entertaining to watch.  Gommie was amazed by the force of the body checks and the speed of the game; she couldn't believe the seeming lack of control over the puck, which just went all over the place, quickly.  Surprisingly, there wasn't a single glove-throwing, helmet-removing fist fight, just a lot of heavy body checks and some fouls; it's the first hockey game we've seen without the proverbial blood on the ice.  Otherwise, I finally figured out how to spot offsides--and caught the foul along with the officials a few times!
• We continue to eat well, as always--take-out from the delicious Italian deli with eggplant parms, seafood salad, chicken cutlet sandwiches, chicken cutlet chopped salad sandwiches, pasta fagioli (soup), arancini, broccoli rabe, nutella wafer cookies, Orangina, and some kind of cooked pastrami dish; apple crumb cake, which we all loved but decided needed the filling doubled; and today, we will be going to Gommie's favorite seafood place;
• We have been playing lots of non-computer games:  Mama introduced Spit, which has proved popular, after Gommie had revived the interest in Solitaire.  They have also played Qwirkle, Rummikub, and Gravity Maze.  Mama has Ticket to Ride that we're hoping to play later.  (I say "we" when you know I mean "please, please, please don't ask me to play a game.  I still REALLY don't like games, especially when there is a lot of gloaty-snarky smack talk.)
• The tangling has slowed down in the wake of the game playing and today I'm thinking of crocheting some flowers.  But there are lovely drawings all around the house.  And also a porcelain owl that I decorated (photos later.)

That's about it.  Gommie is here until Wednesday and the kids are off school again tomorrow.

And we're expecting more snow tonight.

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Miss R's Apple Crumb Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour

1 can apple pie filling--she uses Comstock (frozen fruit doesn't work; We realized 2 cans would have been even better)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients except apple pie filling and form into a dough ball. Divide ball in two.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Press one dough ball into pan. Spread apple filling over dough. Crumble other ball in teaspoon-size crumbs over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

We served hot, with creme fraiche.

Miss R

Summer Fun: Marco, Polo!

We spent hours at the local pool today--and I swam the whole time.  We played good ol' Marco Polo, as well as Toothpaste, Monkey in the Middle (aka keepaway--with those plastic ball-pit balls the pool had), and basketball.  Such fun.  Lots of laughs.  And even now at the end of the day, I'm still mobile!!!  This, folks, is progress.  Very pleased.

"Potatoes!"

We got the giggles something fierce last night playing the Game of Life.

You know, the one with the rainbow spinner and the little cars with pegs.  My paternal grandmother had the game at her house, but we didn't actually play the game so much as play with the pieces.  So I hadn't realized there were lots of fun mini-challenges among the action cards.  Those are my favorite part--describe a cake you would make, play a rhythm on pretend bongos, show off your skateboarding moves.  It's sorta like my favorite if-questions games.

And last night, we got "tell your best joke."  I blanked.  So Mama told one for me.

Three space aliens are hiding from humans on a freight train, very nervous they'll get caught.  And then they heard a conductor.  What should they do?  So they hid in some nearby crates just as the conductor entered.  The conductor walked up to the first crate and kicked it.

"Woof!" barked the first space alien, panicking.  That was odd, the conductor thought, but kept going.

He kicked the second crate.

"Mooo!" bellowed the second alien, hoping not to be caught.  That was strange, the conductor thought, but walked to the last crate.

The third space alien was very scared and wasn't sure what to do.  The conductor kicked the third crate.

And the third space alien whispered, "Potatoes."


Sis and Bud cracked up; we call did.  And "potatoes" became our by-word.  Later, when the challenge was to make someone laugh, all we had to do was say the word!

"What Is It?"

We have a new favorite game:  guess the animal.

It's like 20-questions, but we don't limit it to yes-no answers.

Sounds basic, except we allow "mythical creatures," which we've defined as any animal-like critter not just from classical or world mythology but any book we've read or movie we've seen.  Which includes Harry Potter, Star Wars, "Pokemon", How to Train Your Dragon, Percy Jackson, etc.

It's wonderfully fun and sometimes quite challenging.  Especially because Bud has read some books we haven't and comes up with critters we don't all know.  Like kelpie, which I know as an Irish mer-like creature (a la Secret of Roan Inish), but not as the water-horse-thing he described.

With all this focus on the unusual, I've stumped them with barnyard creatures!  It took them forever to guess cow and horse last week.

We're pretty creative with questions (plus the more expected fur vs. skin vs. scales vs. feathers):

• bigger or smaller than you?
• have you seen a real one?
• paws or feet or hooves?
• two legs or four?  (Sis likes to ask if it's only four legs in the morning, a la Oedipus and the Sphinx!)
• is it a composite, made up of lots of critters?
• can it speak or understand English?  (for those mythical creatures, like the mice in Cinderella!)

And Bud has started asking outright, "What is it?"--and I've almost been fooled into answering him!

On the way home from Boston, we limited it to animals that we encountered--alive-or in another way--during our weekend.  For two hours, plus dinner, we played, insisting that we guess not only the animal but the location.  We had: the unicorn (crest at the State House), the mouse (in the hands-on game at the State House), a cat (Dusty, a real cat, at the bookstore), ducks (the statue in Boston Common), a horse (horse-drawn carriage in the Common), a deer (crest in the lobby of the Parker House), frogs (statue near Frog Pond ice rink), a grasshopper (huge sculpture at science museum), butterflies (real, also science museum), a goat (play stuffed one at the Constitution museum), Adipose (the white fatty creature from Doctor Who, at the comics store in Quincy Market!), to name but a few.

Not something obvious like the penguins at the aquarium, though!

Cemetery Style

I suppose it's not every family that takes an impromptu field trip through a cemetery, but it's what we did on the way home from church on Sunday.  As I've mentioned, Mama and the kids play Ingress, the app game using local landmarks.  And there was a nearby cemetery with several "portals" as part of the game.

It gave us a chance to talk about a few things, since death had come up a few times last week and since we don't visit cemeteries often (and rarely pay too much attention when we drive by, unless it's a really old one):

• respect for the dead (as we debated whether playing a game in a cemetery was respectful.  We decided because we were just driving through peacefully that it was ok.); 
• the history of cemeteries (at least the modern Western history, namely as parks, a la Bethnal Green in London and Green-wood in NYC, both of which I've visited);
• the function of cemeteries and especially gravemarkers (history, memorial, status, kinship, style);  
• burial customs (different cultural traditions, like the need to bury those who are Jewish quickly, those who are Muslim without coffins, and Mama's Chinese ancestors as far up a mountain as possible) and cemetery visitations (on religious holidays, Dios de los Muertos, significant personal anniversaries, or not much at all--Gommie buys Easter lilies and poinsettias in memory of her mother, but not for her mother's grave.  I like that.)  
• the styles and traditions of headstones (how many Eastern Europeans have begun to put likeness on gravemarkers; how since Schindler's List the placement of rocks on headstones has grown in popularity regardless of faith); 
• and even the business of cemeteries (the job of monument makers; the rules on headstones and floral offerings at some strict faith-based cemeteries; the cost of a plot; the maintenance of the space--even the amount of chemicals used to maintain that weedless forever-green look.) 

We also discussed how Mama and I don't really want to be buried in cemeteries, instead being cremated (ashes sprinkled somewhere or not, up to our descendants.)

And all Bud could do was look out for Weeping Angels!!

Poker Faces

"I know Sis has a good poker face," I said last night over dinner, in reference to something I've forgotten.  They know the song by Lady Gaga but didn't really know what the reference was.  Soon Mama and I were explaining deal, ante-up, bet, hold, raise, fold, call, bluff, tell, and poker face.  And mind you, I probably haven't played poker since I was Sis's age.

Before you know it, we had found a full deck of cards and distributed some M&Ms in place of money or chips.  And a kids' book of games which laid out all the hands and how they compared.  Then Mama pulled up some country music on the player and, of course, we listened to Kenny Rogers's "Gambler."

We played for 45 minutes or so, practicing our bluffing and figuring out all the hands.  We mostly had pairs.  But once, Mama dealt me, right off the bat, a straight.  And I won lots of M&Ms. That hand.  Bud enjoyed bluffing, every hand.  At the end, I shared my candy with him.  Sure, we didn't know exactly who starts the betting or how many times you raise.  But we knew when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.  No need to walk away.

And it's hard to not count your M&Ms when you're sitting at the table, even though there'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done.

The Cubists

Rubik's Cube, that is.

Mama, Sis, and Bud have the Rubik's bug.  Mama had picked up two cubes for the kids, thinking they'd like them.  Each can get one colored side, I think.

And then Mama got her hands on one of them and spent the evening working on it, following the directions.

Yep, directions.  Those little colorful cubes come with instructions now for how to best work the puzzle. When the Rubik's Cube first came out in 1980, I was in 5th grade and those were the most popular toys with my friends.  I even had one but never got past one color.  A few of the boys in my class did and we were all impressed.  Especially because they didn't have directions.

Still, I was impressed when Mama did it, as were the kids.  But Sis put the neat cube on her desk and probably won't mess up the colors again.  Bud is still working on his.

Pen and Paper

With it being that time of year for recitals and competitions, the kids are finding themselves waiting for and then sitting through long performances, not only by their sibling, but by lots of other kids, too.  Sometimes,  it's more than even the most attentive and patience eight-year-old can handle.  So, they've been carrying around paper and pencil to entertain themselves.  And they're not (quite) missing the DS!

Most of these are two-person games, but some are single player:

• Tic Tac Toe
• Hang Man
• make-your-own Word Search
• Dots and Boxes:  cover a page in a grid of dots; making one line at a time, create squares and claim them with your initial
• Triangles:  like Dots and Boxes, but instead of a grid of dots, you make a random smattering of dots and then take turns drawing lines to create and claim triangles.
• Connect Four:  draw a grid of 6 down and 8 across; taking turns building up from the bottom (think of gravity and the 3D game you've played), try to line up four of your squares in a row.
• Bulls and Cows:  like Mastermind, the goal is for the player to guess the opponents' code.  Choose four digits (or anywhere between 3-6) and have the player begin to write down guesses.  Each time, the opponent indicates "bull" if the number is right AND in the right space or "cow" if it's just the right number until the player figures it out.
• Search and Find:  write the number 1-100 (or more) randomly in lines and rows on a sheet of paper; then, take turns finding the numbers in order.
• Heads, Bodies, and Legs:  mix and match drawings of body parts using folded paper cut into thirds.
• Okay, what is the name of that game where you try to form as many words from another long one as you can??
• Start-a-picture:  one person draws a line; the other makes it into a recognizable object or scene.
• Draw together:  take turns adding one line to a drawing until it's finished.
• Drawing--both kids like to draw pictures, cartoon characters, or whatever is in front of them
• Writing--stories, poems, a letter, whatever.
• Origami
• Paper airplanes
• Cootie Catcher

Do you have any others?

Other ideas here (pen and paper games for the computer) and here (math games) and here (things to do in the car with paper, like road trip Bingo), here (pencil and paper games booklet pdf), here (three word games from Scrabble), here (from Grandparents.com, including Celebrity), and here (random paper games, like Battleship, M.A.S.H., and Consequences, like Mad Libs).

My Hands are Tied

Quite literally, my hands were tied.

Bud was experimenting with his own string game.

String games are the new interest around here:  Eiffel Tower.  Cup and Saucer.  Cat's Cradle.  Jacob's Ladder.  Truthfully, I didn't even know they had names.  Or that there were so many of them.  I only really knew the trap-and-release one.  Apparently, Mama played these games for hours with her grandparents and remembers most of them, pinching and pulling up and down--funny how you can learn knew things about your spouse so many years on.

Both kids are interested, though Sis--and this should be no surprise--follows the directions, while Bud learns a figure and then makes up his own variations.  Hence my tied hands.

In fact, it's given me an idea to add string games to our historic house activity centers.  Yes, I have tours on the brain--they started yesterday.  Maybe Sis and Bud can teach string games this summer at some of our programs!

Games We Play

For weeks, I've been working with another Brownie troop leader to organize a Fair Play Field Day as part of the requirements for their Fair Play badge.  We planned games, debated SWAPS and snacks, added songs, and finally got our girls together on Saturday.  

It went beautifully, which was a relief because Thursday's meeting in preparation for today was a behavioral nightmare of gigantic proportions such that we had to send a letter home to all of the parents about expectations, respect, and acceptable behavior. 

Of course, we didn't play all of the games we'd practiced, but we had a lot of fun.  And the girls demonstrated great sportsmanship (is there a gender-neutral version of that word?) and cooperation, thankfully!  

We played Birthday Order, Hula Hoop, special-rules Tag, Word Wide Web, Sharks and Minnows, and had an obstacle course.  Below are some of the games we practiced, as well as some of the others I'm keeping in my back pocket for next time (divided into Icebreakers, Cooperative, and "Wide"/outdoor games).  You'll know some of them, perhaps not all, and no doubt rules vary.

Icebreakers:

• Birthday Order:  Have students figure out how to line up in birth order, either by date or just by month, from oldest to youngest.
• Susie Spaghetti:  Students sit in a circle.  First student introduces herself, "My name is Jamie and I bought jam."  They go around the circle recalling the students before them and then introducing themselves and what they bought (which must start with the first letter  of their name.)
• Gestures:  Everyone sits in a circle. The first person says her name and does a hand-motion. The next person has to repeat that person's name and gesture and then introduces herself and does an action.   Continue around the whole circle.
• What You Don't Know About Me:  Every person writes a fact about herself that is unusual or interesting and not well known.  These are all put in a bowl.  They are then pulled out one at a time and everyone writes down on a piece of paper who they think it is.  (Someone needs to keep a master list or number the papers as they're pulled out.)  Then they compare answers and each person reveals herself.  The person with the most right answers wins.
• Post-It on My Back:  Every person gets a post-it (or taped index card) with a name written on it (famous American, Disney character, etc.).  Then they walk around the room asking each other yes-or-no questions until they figure out who they are. 

Cooperative:

• Story in a bag:  Before meeting, leader collects a variety of household objects in a paper bag.  At the meeting, the leader starts by removing an object and beginning a story.  The bag is passed around the circle and each girl adds to the story based on the object she pulled out.  Beware of some unusual twists--and be prepared to amend (one leader spoke of GS adding "and I stabbed her with the pencil.")
• Group Symphony:  Sit in circle.  One person starts making sound, next person adds to it.  Everyone adds a sound--and must maintain it until everyone has added a sound.  (This is loud!)
• Word Wide Web:  Stand in a large circle with one person holding a ball of string.  She tosses it, while holding on to one end, to another while calling out a single word.  The catcher adds a connected word and throws it to the next person, also keeping hold of part of the string so as to make a web.  (Think:  red--apple--pie--crust--bread.)  At the end, talk about interconnectivity of words, actions, and people.
• Funny bone:  Twister with body parts.  Before meeting, leader writes up several clues such as--touch elbows together, girl A puts hand on girl B's head etc.  Divide group into pairs and have leader call out directions.  See who can keep body contact the longest!  Some suggest putting a pool noodle between them to avoid awkwardness--challenge is to keep pool noodle off the ground.
• I am Your Friend.  One student sits in a chair with her eyes closed, with her classmates around her.  One student from the group stands up in front and says, "I am your friend," and then sits back down.  The student in the chair opens her eyes and has three guesses to figure out the speaker.  If she guesses correctly, the speaker sits in the chair; if she can't figure it out, it is revealed, and she stays in the chair for another turn.
• I Can Do That With One Hand Tied Behind My Back:  Students work in pairs, standing next to one another with inner hands tied together.  They are then given a task--make a sandwich, tie their shoes, etc.--that they must complete using one untied hand only from each person.  The team to finish first, having most accurately completed the task, wins.
• Marbles and Toes race:  Gather marbles, a very large platter, and two smaller bowls.  Students divide into two teams and remove their shoes and socks.  Each team sends a representative to the bowl who, at the signal, will try to move as many marbles from the platter to their team bowl with their toes only.  At the troop leader's signal, representatives tag off with another teammate until all students get a chance.  Whichever team has the most marbles when the game is over wins.
• Chopsticks:  Gather jelly beans and two medium-sized bowls for each team (3-4 students per team).  Students divide into several teams. On the teacher's signal, everyone on each team tries to move as many jelly beans as possible from one bowl to the next.  Whichever team has the most jelly beans when the game is over wins.
• Spot the Leader:  Students gather in a cirlce; one person, who is it, leaves the area.  A leader from within the circle is chosen; this leader will make motions that the rest of the circle is to follow.  The "it" person returns and watches as the students in the circle make motions and tries to figure out who the leader is.  The leader must change motions every few moments.  When the "it" person finds the leader, the leader becomes "it" and a new leader is named.
• Popcorn:  one person is caller who yells out an object and number.  That number of people run together and pretend to be that object.  For example "4 popcorn"--4 people must pair up quickly and pretend to be popcorn.  Girls take turns as caller.
• Thumbs Up, 7 Up:  This requires a large number of players.  Seven students are chose as "it."  When the teacher calls "heads down, thumbs up," the other students, preferably at desks, lay their heads down and raise their thumbs.  The "its" walk around and press down one thumb.  When all "its" have pressed a thumb, the teacher calls, "heads up, seven up" and the seven whose thumbs were pressed stand up.  They each try to identify who pressed their thumbs.  If they are right, they take that person's place.  If not, they sit back down.
• Hot Potato:  Students sit in a circle and pass an object around while music plays or until teacher signals stop.  The person with the potato is out.  Students play until one person is left.
• Islands  Large sheets of paper/mats are distributed around an area.  Music is played and students walk around until music stops (or adult signals end).  All students find a piece of paper.  For each successive round, a paper is removed so that all students have to try to fit on fewer sheets of paper.  Students who fall off are out.  Last person on paper wins. 
• Musical Chairs:  One fewer chairs than there are players are placed in a circle.  Students walk around while music plays. When music stops, students sit.  Whoever doesn't get a chair is out.  Last person in chair wins.
• Statue, Come Alive!:  Divide students into pairs.  One person is the sculptor; the other is the sculpture.  Sculptor gently positions limbs of sculpture.  Then the statue comes alive and moves in accordance with position.  Switch roles.
• Wave Stretching:  Have students stand in a circle.  One student strikes a pose or stretch and each student around the circle copies it in turn; when the stretch/pose gets all the way around the circle, the second person changes to a new pose or stretch.  Continue until everyone has a turn.
• Giant Stick Figures:  This works well with a big group. The group makes a stick figure, with a few girls for the head, a line of girls for the neck and body, with more for arms and legs. Then the leader asks them to perform an action, for example "scratch your head," "kick a ball," etc. and they must act as a group and performs it.

• Back to Back:  Two people stand back to back with their elbows interlocked. Using each other for support, they must try to sit on the floor and stretch out their legs. Then, while keeping their elbows locked, the partners must now try to stand up without falling.
• Collective Sheet Ball:  This works best with a big group.  Gather two sheets and two balls. Divide the group in half, with each taking a sheet and spreading it out with the ball in the middle.  Students can practice by tossing the ball up and down. Then, the groups pass the one ball back and forth.  With practice, they can add the second ball.
• Group Art:  Gather blank paper and markers.  Divide students into several teams, who then sit in parallel lines to each other.  Have the person in back draw a simple picture on a piece of paper without anyone seeing.  Give more paper and a marker to the person in front.  The person in back starts by tracing her picture with her hand on the back of the person in front of her.  This person then recreates the picture on the person in front of her and so forth.  When the picture reaches the back of the first person in  line, she draws it on the paper.  Now, compare the picture back to front.  Whose is closest?
• Group Clap:  The group stands in a circle with their arms outstretched to the side with their palms not quite touching. The goal is for the entire group to clap their hands all at the same time but without giving a verbal signal to start!
• Group Walk:  Students line up side by side, with feet and shoulders touching.  The line must "walk forward" one step at a time while keeping their feet touching!
• Hula Hoops:  Gather hula hoops and form a circle.  Break the handclasp of one pair and thread their hands through hula hoop, so that it rests on their handshake.  .All participants join hands and form a circle. Two participants drop hands and put they arms through the hula hoops. Send the hula hoop around the circle without touching it with your hands or thumbs--yes, you climb through it!  Start with one hula hoop and then use two going in opposite directions until they meet.
• Human Alphabet Soup:   Best with a large group.  Have girls quickly and cooperatively form letters of the alphabet by lying down on the ground and making the form with their bodies.  Challenge:  try it without talking!
• Turn the Circle Inside Out: Students form a circle and hold hands. Now, try to turn the circle inside out without letting go--or talking!  (Hint: two players hold up their hands like London Bridge and everyone goes underneath.)
•  Human Knot—divide into 2 groups of at least 4 people.  Stand in a circle.  Put all hands in middle and grab hands with two other people.  Now untangle without letting go.
• 2-3-4:  students dance around to music or just run around until teacher yells a small number, then they grab each other in groups of that number.  Whoever does not join a group is out; continue until there are just two winners.
• Coke and Pepsi:  one line is "Coke" and one is "Pepsi."  Students dance around until the leader yells either "Coke" or "Pepsi," then that line runs to the other.  Last one there eliminates that pair; anyone who jumps the gun or is on the wrong side, is also out.  Last pair remaining wins.
• Freeze Dance:  with music, students pause when music stops.  Any movement eliminates that person until only one remains.  

"Wide"/Outside:

• Walking tag:  no running.  Walk.  Apparently, it's quite exciting.
• Barnyard Bedlam:  One person is the farmer )usually the leader) and all the rest are pairs of farm animals.  In each pair of animals, one gets the paper bag.  Farmer throws "feed" (like tootsie rolls or something) around the grass  (best played outside) and the pair of animals run around the yard looking for it and make their animal noise when they find one so person with bag can pick it up.  Pair with most feed in bag wins.
• Catch the Brownie:  Girls line up front to back, with hands on each other's hips/around waist.  The girl in the front of the line tries to maneuver so as to catch the girl at the end of the line, who tries to get away--without breaking the line or falling over!  Change front and back to continue.
• Sharks and Minnows: Designate boundaries--the starting line and the finish line.  Line all students, a.k.a. the minnows, except one "shark," on the starting line.  The shark calls out a category, for example "all people with brown hair," and those people have to run across to the finish line without being tagged.  Tagged minnows become sharks until only one person is left the winner.
•  Octopus tag—two people start as octopus; they hold hands and tag people.  Tagged people become part of octopus and help tag until everyone is tagged.

• Freeze Tag:  One person is "it" and everyone runs.  If a person is tagged, she freezes on the spot.  Others can unfreeze the frozen people by crawling through their legs.  When all people are frozen save one, that person becomes "it."
• Simon Says:  One person is chosen to be "Simon" the others stand in a straight line. Simon then calls out an action for the others to follow.  If Simon starts the action with "Simon Says," the others should do the action; however, if he does not say "Simon says," whoever does it is out. The last person becomes "Simon!"
• Mother, May I?:  The "mother" faces a line of students.  She addresses one child and gives an instruction, such as "Take 3 steps" or "Do 5 jumping jacks." Before doing the action, the student must ask "Mother, may I?"  Then, mother tells each child whether they can or can't.  First one to reach "mother" wins.
• Red Light, Green Light:  The caller stands facing a line of students as far away as there is space.  With her back to the line, she calls out "red light" or "green light." The goal is for the students to touch the caller.  At "red light," the caller turns around and whoever is moving has to go back to the beginning.  At "green light," the caller keeps her back to the line.  "Lights" can be changed quickly or slowly.  Whoever touches the caller first, becomes the caller.
• Red Rover:  Students form two opposing lines of equal length by holding hands and attempt to "break through" the opposing team's line.
  One side starts by picking a person on the opposing team and shouting, "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Jamie on over."  Jamie then tries to break through the handhold of the opposing team. If Jamie breaks through, she chooses one person from the opposing team to join her team. If she doesn't break through, she becomes part of the other team.
  Each team alternates calling people over until one team has all the people and is declared the winner.
• Television Tag:  The is like regular tag, except at the beginning the "it" person calls out a category--tv shows, songs, movies, books--and a person almost tagged can only be safe if she can call out a title in that category without repeating previous titles.  Tagged person becomes it.
• Duck Duck Goose:  Students sit in a circle with one person "it."  "It" walks around outside the circle patting people on the head and designating them duck or goose.  Ducks stay still but the goose has to run around the circle chasing the "it."  If the "it" gets back to the empty spot, she is safe and the goose is "it"; if the goose tags the "it" then the "it" person continues.  Ad infinitum.
• Hide and Seek:  One "it" and everyone else hides while she counts to ten or twenty--"ready or not, here I come."  She then seeks those hidden.  Some variants say first person found is it; other rules have found people have to run to a safe base--tagged people become it--and the game continues.  "Olly, olly oxen free" tells the hidden to come out.