Summer can often be a time of relaxation. I discovered a bit of that during the family beach trip this year. But, since we've come home, it seems we're on a faster pace than maybe even during the school year.
RJ2 is in extended school year, mornings, Monday through Thursday. CJ is in afternoon theater camp Monday through Thursday. We get 40 minutes for lunch in between travel time, and that zooms by. When we all do get home, there's an hour or so of wind-down time before dinner prep and the close-of-day activities.
I'm really glad to have the time to spend with each of the girls individually. But it does go fast!
At the start of the week, CJ had requested to play Monopoly. She loves Monopoly in all forms. Started with the Junior version. Advanced to the "regular" version last year. Played Pokemon Monopoly at the beach house. She even designed "Summeropoly" herself (which highlights activities she loves to do with her cousins in the summer) and transferred it, this summer, to a "real" game from a make-your-own Monopoly kit. (And, no, Mom is not allowed to play that version!)
So, we played Monopoly yesterday. But, not the regular form of the "regular" game. We played the "Speed die" form! We had two hours to play, and Monopoly can be a really REALLY long game with just two people. Still, I reluctantly said OK, and CJ launched into the directions (which we didn't quite follow to the letter, because it was new).
At the end of two hours, she had racked up $1500 in $100 bills, all of the railroads, many properties and a "yellow block" covered with houses and two hotels. Despite my attempts to dwindle her reserves and make deals for key properties that would allow me to conquer, I mean, build, she had me beat.
As for the "Speed die," it may have sped up the pace of the game in the beginning and definitely created some new move opportunities, but, in the end, we still hadn't finished after two hours of play. We did agree, though, that it was a fun time and a good game.
CJ and I have an ongoing discussion about the difficulty of change--embarking on new "projects" or changing what you have done all along to something slightly different. She has such a new project on her plate right now, and it's been hard to get started, even though she is fully capable of not only handling it but thriving through it.
I said that she isn't the only one who struggles with change. Probably more than half the world has a tough time with it.
She quickly brought up yesterday's "Speed die" game and my attitude about playing it. Can't say she's wrong. I didn't like the idea of Mr. Monopoly showing up on a die face and requiring me to consider a property purchase I didn't want to make, or having me advance to the next property space and pay the property owner what was due when my "regular" dice didn't put me on that space!
I may not stamp my feet and stammer "No!" any more, but reluctance over trying something new, even subtle, is still reluctance.
But, back to CJ, now that I have tried "Speed die," I am in an informed position of having an opinion. (And, I'd still rather play without it, even though the "on the bus" feature is cool!)
As RJ2's book that we read nightly (Todd Parr's The Okay Book) says, "It's okay to try new things." Chocolate-covered ants, "Speed die" Monopoly or .... ?
We have to try, though.
So, we played Monopoly yesterday. But, not the regular form of the "regular" game. We played the "Speed die" form! We had two hours to play, and Monopoly can be a really REALLY long game with just two people. Still, I reluctantly said OK, and CJ launched into the directions (which we didn't quite follow to the letter, because it was new).
At the end of two hours, she had racked up $1500 in $100 bills, all of the railroads, many properties and a "yellow block" covered with houses and two hotels. Despite my attempts to dwindle her reserves and make deals for key properties that would allow me to conquer, I mean, build, she had me beat.
As for the "Speed die," it may have sped up the pace of the game in the beginning and definitely created some new move opportunities, but, in the end, we still hadn't finished after two hours of play. We did agree, though, that it was a fun time and a good game.
* * *
CJ and I have an ongoing discussion about the difficulty of change--embarking on new "projects" or changing what you have done all along to something slightly different. She has such a new project on her plate right now, and it's been hard to get started, even though she is fully capable of not only handling it but thriving through it.
I said that she isn't the only one who struggles with change. Probably more than half the world has a tough time with it.
She quickly brought up yesterday's "Speed die" game and my attitude about playing it. Can't say she's wrong. I didn't like the idea of Mr. Monopoly showing up on a die face and requiring me to consider a property purchase I didn't want to make, or having me advance to the next property space and pay the property owner what was due when my "regular" dice didn't put me on that space!
I may not stamp my feet and stammer "No!" any more, but reluctance over trying something new, even subtle, is still reluctance.
But, back to CJ, now that I have tried "Speed die," I am in an informed position of having an opinion. (And, I'd still rather play without it, even though the "on the bus" feature is cool!)
As RJ2's book that we read nightly (Todd Parr's The Okay Book) says, "It's okay to try new things." Chocolate-covered ants, "Speed die" Monopoly or .... ?
We have to try, though.
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