Family Fun: Game Night

I have decided to add a new post to my list of things that could happen on the weekends.  As part of my resolutions for 2015, I wanted to do more fun things with Munchkin and as a family.  I will be posting sporadically about some of the fun adventures we are having together.

 

 

 

It is nasty cold lately with occasional snow showers, I don't know if I have told any of you this before but I hate cold weather! I don't like doing any outdoor activities when it is cold (though I will do some for Munchkin).  So to pass the time Munchkin and I usually have a lot of movie nights.

 

This last weekend however (thanks to some careful gift planning) we broke into some age appropriate games. I have always loved playing games and doing puzzles, they are some of my favorite memories with my own family and I am so excited that Munchkin is finally old enough to start playing too.

 

The game we played this weekend was called Sgetti Scatter

 

It reminds me of Kerplunk, you have to pull the colored spaghetti out without the meatballs falling and spilling the bowl.  I thought this would be a fun game since we eat so much pasta in our house and seem to be rather food obsessed.

 

 

 

Munchkin is learning how to take turns and this was great to improve on that lesson. I must say though that Hubby is a much better sport and left easy ones for Munchkin, something I am going to have to learn to do (must tame my competitive spirit and not completely crush my little competition).

 

 

It was a lot of fun and a lot of laughs were had, I can't wait to have more game nights!

 

 

So what do you do as a family when the weather gets nasty out?  Any fun games you can suggest?



Bedtime Story: No Two Alike by Keith Baker

Read for: Children's Book Challenge

 

Synopsis: "No two snowflakes are alike,
almost, almost . . .
but not quite.

Follow a pair of birds on a snowflake-filled journey though a gorgeous winter landscape to explore how everything, everywhere is wonderfully unique--from branches and leaves to forests and trees to friends and loved ones."

My Review: This book has a beautiful message about how no two things are alike. While I agree with how it is presented, using snowflakes, nests, creatures and houses, the main message wasn't repeated enough to create an understanding for younger readers. It will be better as Munchkin gets older but right now he simply repeats the words without grasping what I am reading to him.

 

My Rating: It is a meaningful message just not executed in a way that will stick with young minds.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

 

 

 

Good Night!  Sweet Dreams!

Beginning Reader Review: Charlie's Snow Day by Ree Drummond

 

Synopsis: "Ree Drummond (also known as The Pioneer Woman) and Charlie the Ranch Dog return in this snow-filled I Can Read title.

When Charlie wakes up to a world covered in snow, he can't wait to go outside. He even takes a break from patrol duty to go sledding with his friends Walter and Sister. But when Walter goes missing, it's up to Charlie to take control of the situation and bring his buddy back.

Charlie the Ranch Dog stars in bestselling author Ree Drummond's I Can Read title, just right for reading on your own snowy day! Charlie's Snow Day is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences."

My Review: This is a pretty cute book, though I think you really need to read some of the other Charlie books first to get a feel for who all the characters are. I do like how Charlie gets excited but later discovers snow isn't all it is cracked up to be. So many kids books make every new thing out to be fun but not everyone has fun, so it is nice to show that it is okay if you try something new and discover you don't like it.

 

My Rating: The words and sentences in this book seemed a little more advanced than most of the other level 1 books I have read and you needed a little more back story to be familiar with it.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

Review of Dear Hank Williams by Kimberly Willis Holt

Read for: Netgalley Request

 

Synopsis: "It’s 1948 in Rippling Creek, Louisiana, and Tate P. Ellerbee’s new teacher has just given her class an assignment—learning the art of letter-writing. Luckily, Tate has the perfect pen pal in mind: Hank Williams, a country music singer whose star has just begun to rise. Tate and her great-aunt and -uncle listen to him on the radio every Saturday night, and Tate just knows that she and Hank are kindred spirits.
Told entirely through Tate’s hopeful letters, this beautifully drawn novel from National Book Award–winning author Kimberly Willis Holt gradually unfolds a story of family love, overcoming tragedy, and an insightful girl learning to find her voice."

My Review: This was a book I requested on NetGalley. It is really a unique book in my opinion. I love the idea of the entire book being pen-pal letters, which it is but it seems to me almost more like diary entries at times. You really get to know Tate through her letters to Hank Williams and you also really get to know the time period through her eyes. As you start reading you think it will be just a simple story about every day happenings in Tate's world but as it progresses you really find some heart-wrenching aspects of her life. It turns into an emotional story but with plenty of hope and light. I found it fun, unique and beautiful.

 

My Rating: This was a really interesting book, it is a time period and perspective that I haven't come across before. I love the format and the voice of Tate is so genuine. I give it a rating of Four Paws.

Review of Jesper Jinx and the Sneezing Season by Marko Kitti

 

Synopsis: "Jesper Jinx is eleven, and probably the unluckiest person in all of Puffington Hill. Everything he touches seems to end up in sweet disaster. Hence his nickname 'Jinx'.

It's Spring time in Puffington Hill, and the most unforgettable Sneezing Season ever for Jesper! In this book, packed full of new wonderfully wicked adventures, you're going to get to know Chloe, Jesper's long time future-girlfriend, and meet a Purple Buzzard from the tropical island of Buzzupurplu. Also, there's Rosie, the grinning Squirrel with an attitude and the infamous Diary Wars.

WARNING: This book causes uncontrollable laughter!

Contains the stories: JESPER JINX and the PURPLE BUZZARD, JESPER JINX and the DIARY WARS and a bonus story: JESPER'S EXTREMELY TOP SECRET BUCKET LIST."

My Review:   I read the previous Jesper Jinx book last year and found it comical, this was no different, especially since I am familiar with the style and format of the series already. Coming from personal experience with seagulls stealing lunch, I feel for poor Jesper and I certainly wasn't trying to impress anyone. I particularly love the Boredom Breaker. Jesper is a master at coming up with pranks and ideas, granted more often than not they come back at him. Even as an adult I find this book to be humorous and can only imagine how they would be for a young reader (granted I don't want my Munchkin learning any of Jesper's tricks to use on me).

 

My Rating: These are fun books to read at any age I would imagine, even for those who might be reluctant readers.  I am looking forward to seeing what Marko Kitti does with the third book and what other trouble Jesper can create.  I give it a rating of Four Paws.

 

 

Jesper Jinx and the Sneezing Season was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

 

You can find out more about Marko Kitti and his works on his Goodreads Page or Website.

 

You can obtain your own copy of Jesper Jinx and the Sneezing Season in digital or print format from Amazon or print format from Barnes & Noble.

 

Review of Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

Read for: TBR Challenge & Across the States Challenge (South Carolina)

 

Synopsis: "Sarah Walters is a less-than-perfect debutante. She tries hard to follow the time-honored customs of the Charleston Camellia Society, as her mother and grandmother did, standing up straight in cotillion class and attending lectures about all the things that Camellias don't do. (Like ride with boys in pickup trucks.)
But Sarah can't quite ignore the barbarism just beneath all that propriety, and as soon as she can she decamps South Carolina for a life in New York City. There, she and her fellow displaced Southern friends try to make sense of city sophistication, to understand how much of their training applies to real life, and how much to the strange and rarefied world they've left behind.
When life's complications become overwhelming, Sarah returns home to confront with matured eyes the motto "Once a Camellia, always a Camellia"- and to see how much fuller life can be, for good and for ill, among those who know you best.
Girls in Trucks introduces an irresistable, sweet, and wise voice that heralds the arrival of an exciting new talent."

My Review: I guess I got the completely wrong impression as to what this book was about. There was definitely nothing "sweet and wise" about the voice. I guess we are supposed to be sympathetic to Sarah, pity her and hope for the best for her, but I just can't bring myself to care. There really wasn't much about the so called training and using it in life out of the south. It was really just a woe is me tale. The other thing that really bothered me other than the character was the writing style, it is so all over the place, it starts out sounding like a diary entry and then it jumps between 1st and 3rd person narration. The time line is also all over the place. It really just wasn't the book for me and I was glad it was a relatively short book and ended quickly.  

 

My Rating: By the description I thought this would be a fun, quirky book (thinking along the lines of Sweet Home Alabama movie) but instead it was a real downer. Everything was whining and woe is me, only bad things happen to me, pessimistic view. I was really disappointed. I give it a rating of One Paw.

Monday Reading List

Its Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Share what books you have finished in the last week, are currently reading and what might be coming up next!

Reviews Posted Last Week:

Links will take you to my review

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

Hunter Huntsman's Story by Shannon Hale (mini review)

Doubletake by Elizabeth A. Reeves (mini review)

Dancing by Laurell K. Hamilton (mini review)

Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton (mini review)

The Seducer by Jianne Carlo (mini review)

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson (mini review)

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan (mini review)

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan (mini review)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

Peter Loves Penguin by Peter McPhail (Bedtime Story)

Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vol. 3 (Graphic Novel)

 

Books Finished Last Week:
Reviews will be posted at a later date

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Tooth Book
Watch Out for Banana Peels
Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vol. 3 - 2pts
Girls in Trucks - 5 pts
Peter Loves Penguin - 1pt
Charlie and the Snow Day - 1pt
Dear Hank Williams - 3pts
The Fighting Ground - 3pts
Jesper Jinx and the Sneezing Season - 3pts
Blankets - 2pts
Calves in the Mud Room - 3pts
No Two Alike - 1pt


 

Currently Reading:

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo - print - on page 36 of 182

 Books to be Read Soon:

Gooseberry Island by Steven Manchester (Requested Review)
Athena the Brain by Joan Holub
Persephone the Phony by Joan Holub
Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub
Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub

 

Total Points Earned
24


Pages Read/ Time Listened
1,528 pages read
3:06 listening time

 



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Woohoo! Happy New Year to all of you! I was so excited to dive into this year's books that I got the year kicked off with a bang (5 books on day 1). Also being sick and just staying on the couch all day really helped too.  I have already read some pretty great books.

As you can see I have already started keeping track of my point system (only books read in this year count towards it), I have also started keeping track of the pages read and time listened (as of right now I am only adding the pages and time when the book is complete because I have so much going at once it is hard to keep track of).

This week I am also going to be riding this rush of new book excitement and participating in the Bout of Books readathon (sign up was posted yesterday). I will update each morning with the previous days reading achievements.

So how were your first few days of the new year?