Back In the Saddle, and Playing Our Cards

I love taking a vacation from homeschool.

I hate taking a vacation from homeschool.

I love returning to structure and routine.

I hate returning to structure and routine.

I love writing in contradictions.

There is something so enticing about a clean slate and a fresh start, but a "new" anything always seems to come with a set of self imposed standards. I think the hard part about transitioning from Christmas break is that there is really no transition at all. We go from living in the lap of social luxury to being fully accountable and adhering to expectations of productivity. Part of me can hardly wait to start scratching things off of a formal "to do" list. The other part of me can't remember where I left the math books. Can anyone relate?

Ever notice that there are two hurdles to successfully navigating life? The first one involves days when I don't feel like I have enough of a plan. The second involves days where I have a detailed plan, but real life doesn't let me follow it. Today would be a stellar example of the latter. Emma didn't feel good, we forgot everything we ever knew about ancient history, the laptop stopped working so we had to share the desktop, blah...blah...blah. THEN we cheated on the thrifty three and went to Sonic for happy hour, and suddenly things seemed rosy and bright again. I tell you, Sonic ice is no small miracle.

So, we're back in the homeschooling saddle, and although there may have been a slight hitch in the giddy up, we're off like a herd of turtles.

Today I thought I'd show a few games we got for Christmas. Both of these were new to us, and we're really enjoying them! The first one is by the makers of Sequence and is called Kings In the Corner. It is a variation on Solitaire, which makes it a shoe in for me. (I love that classic!)

The second is a card game called Duo. I love it because it is the perfect mix of luck and skill. It is an awesome game to play with kids because it sharpens patterning and sequencing strategies. You can play one hand very quickly, or get addicted and play several rounds to complete a whole game.

We're always on the look out for new games. I'll pass the word that these two get thumbs up, and I'm all ears if anyone else wants to comment about their favorites!