Poison Fun

I was thinking back to the past few years when we have set New Year's goals together as a family.  Aubrey has consistently written down "family game night" or "family movie night."  She really wanted to have one scheduled regularly.  With full time school, athletics, callings, work, household chores, seminary, YM/YW activities etc., it just was not realistic.  We could have (should have?) made it worked.  I would write her contribution down knowing it was not going to happen.  The weekdays were too full and on the weekends the older kids wanted to be with friends.

However, a big blessing with the slower pace of sheltering in place, is the time we are spending together as a family.  I love it.  Even as the restrictions are being lifted and the kids are getting together with friends, we still have plenty of time to be together.  

We are watching shows together.  I should say mostly together.  Not everyone joins in every time.  This week a couple of Iron Man movies, Captain America, Survivor and The Chosen.  We have played group games with the Chris Vores the past two weekends.  (Fish Bowl-a charades game, Secret Hitler, Apples to Apples)  We have also gone out to the side yard where we have our basketball goal and played Poison a few times. (View instructions here.)  

Poison has been a super fun family activity...even though I stink and get out first every time.  (I am by far the least athletic person in our family, and I used to consider myself fairly athletic.  It's the worst.)

I love watching the kids play competitively together.  Sometimes things have gotten heated, but playing together as a family gives everyone the opportunity to practice lots of life skills such as anger management (ha!), patience, compromise, and learning to let go.

A little about Poison....if the person shooting makes the shot, everyone has to freeze.  The person who made the shot then can throw or roll the ball at someone.  If they hit them, the frozen person loses a life. 

There is some running involved.  If you are the next shooter, you can only let the ball bounce three times before you catch it.  If you don't get there in time, you lose a life.  It's challenging though because you don't want to be too close to the shooter.  If they make it, you are an easy target.  It makes for a fun group game.

Once Parker was out, he was messing around on the back of Brian's truck.  He did a press handstand!  I was impressed.  The first time it was perfect.  

The next time he flipped over backwards into the bed of the truck.  Yikes.  I wish I would have taken pictures of the action but my normal reaction to danger is to cringe and cover my face.  Don't worry.  He was fine.  

I'm so grateful for the family time this world wide pandemic has given us.  I'm glad for Aubrey too.  Her positive family resolution suggestions are finally coming true.