Getting my Game on:

I don't like playing games with my kids. I'm not proud of this! If we're all home together, I expect my kids to amuse themselves while I do laundry, wash dishes, read a book, yada yada. I'll set out a game or projects and let them play by themselves. Then I get upset when the game/projects are all over the house, or destroyed. Who's to blame? ME!!!

Shabbos is the worst. I'm the biggest shabbos bum there ever was. Although shabbos is "yom menucha" - a day of rest - I might be taking the concept a little too far. All I want to do is become one with the couch (or my bed). Unfortunately, this is the time when my kids need me the most. They're not in school and not in structure, and they go absolutely crazy. If I could schedule some "game time" with them, it would greatly enhance their shabbos (and possibly mine).

I have a friend who plays games with her kids, and that impresses me. I want to do that, too! I don't want to be a bum anymore. So tonight, when Yaakov took my girls to a Chanuka concert, I played games with Srulik. First, we played dreidel. Then we played a game my mom bought for the kids; "Cootie." Now I must admit that "Cootie" drove me crazy. Yet I soldiered on, even though Zalman was constantly threatning to wreck the game. And when we were done, I found every piece of the game, and neatly put it back in the box.

WOW! I played a game with my kid and cleaned up afterwards, too!

I'm proud of myself.