we love board games!

Have I ever told you that Rory loves to create board games? I just went through my pictures and found just a sampling of the games he has created throughout our marriage. There were pictures of us playing a card game he created with our own set of playing cards made out of index cards and taped icons on each one. That was back when we lived in Nebraska. Then he created another game called Sojourners that we played a lot.

Most of the games he has created have been tested on our nieces and nephews. I imagine it has become a bit expected by our family that Rory will want to test out a new version of his latest game. It's so fun and creative, and they always offer back awesome, helpful feedback.

Four years ago we went to learn about tree tapping at Murphy's Landing, and on the drive home we brainstormed what a board game could be like that centers on tapping maple trees. We loved the idea and Rory went home and drew up the first version of Sugar Maple. This week we got a package in the mail...his first printed game. He created every playing card, token and even the box cover. He created many of the graphics himself and designed the entire game board from scratch using photoshop. I am so proud of this one. Because the game is gorgeous. But not only is it really nicely designed, it is also super fun to play. At the moment I am working on an educators guide that would be included with each game so that a teacher could use this game as a part of a unit on tapping trees for maple syrup. Our imagination is flying with more games with this same vision. Our name is Grovestead Games and the tagline is: Always Educational. Oh, I love it so much! 

Rory wrote about Sugar Maple over on his blog, with pictures of the final design. It was so exciting when that box was delivered. We opened it up and played the game right away. And this game is awesome. It's the right pace, there is strategy but we had no idea who was going to win. Elsie and Ivar could play easily with our assistance to help with the math. It's so fun. And fun to see a vision become something so finished. Hooray for Sugar Maple!

still tuckered, part 2

I woke up this morning to my mom calling. I knew right then that maybe my blog post yesterday was a little melodramatic. She was calling to check on me and find out why I am so tired.

We haven't really adjusted to daylight savings at this house. Everyone just goes to bed an hour later, or later than that actually. And Rory and I are sucked into a Masterpiece Classic called Poldark. Have you watched this yet? Every episode can span the time of a year, which means the pace of the show is fast and the story is always moving. We are plowing through the first season and going to bed later and later. But then Hattie is still waking up to be fed, and she's ready to start her day even if the rest of us are definitely not.

A funny thing happened today, though. Hattie took two very long naps. And Ivar and Elsie have played together nicely all day long. I have accomplished so much, and for all the frustration I felt the last two days for not getting anything done, today has been downright productive. Which makes me believe even more that on the days when it seems I can't get anything done, it really would be best to just stop trying.  Because a productive day will come, maybe even the very next one.

But I'm glad I wrote all of that yesterday because it still stands true. When I was writing it I was wondering if I was risking sounding like a melancholy downer. But I hope when my girls read my blog one day, they have an honest view of the absolute joy and happiness I feel in being a mom, as well as the exhaustion and character that comes from serving my family in this role.

Later this morning my mother-in-law sent me a recent blog post by Ann Voskamp. I read it and enjoyed every single word. So I'll leave you now to click on over and read it for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

tuckered out

Grandpa Paul sent these bull hats for the kids and they loved them. :) 

Rory spent the weekend sitting next to the evaporator, boiling down the maple sap into syrup. Truth-be-told, we were not quite ready for the weather to get warm this fast. Now hear me, the weather has been awesome. But tree tapping caught us by surprise, and suddenly we are gearing up for the whole hobby farming season to begin. I was so ready for winter to come back in October so we could rest after doing so much last spring, summer and fall. And now the winter has ended and I don't feel rested yet to start it up again! I got my hair cut today and my hair lady kept asking me questions and I realized I had answered a lot of them with some variation on, "I'm just so tired..." 

Which is saying something because I've been eating right, getting outside, taking my vitamins, drinking water and drinking tea instead of caffeine. But sleep has been a problem lately, and therefore I am tuckered.

The other thing is that I've been battling that part of me that wants to be productive every day. But some days are completely reactionary when you're home with your kids. I tried so hard to get a few things done yesterday, but they didn't get done. Some days (lots of days) that's just how it goes. I am trying to grade myself on the Panera Plan again. And trying to relax my own agenda to make lots of room for kids that love books read to them, ask for snacks all day long, get hurt and need band-aids and hugs, need to know how to spell new words, can't find the tape to hang their artwork, and a baby who needs her diaper changed, belly filled, and who likes to be held upright all day long to see all that is happening. It fills a day, it does. And I am grateful for this sweet season, so I'll just head for bed now and hope to be more chipper tomorrow...

it should be a holiday

It's becoming my very favorite day of the year. But it's on a different day every year. And I never seem to see it coming. Also it wouldn't be the same day for every mom in Minnesota, based on their personal calendar. But Tuesday was my day. Yours might be this Saturday.

There is nothing like the first day that the weather is warm enough to be able to mother outside. It's just my favorite day. And I forget what it feels like throughout the winter.

But Tuesday was my day. I cleaned out the garage, which is basically one of my top five favorite things to do on planet earth. I love cleaning out the garage, organizing the shelves, sweeping it out. (This might be genetic, as my dad is a joyful garage cleaner too...) I cleaned the garage while Ivar and Elsie drew with sidewalk chalk, brought toys back out to the rock box, found jump ropes and balls that had been put away all winter. They were busy keeping themselves busy.

Oh it's such a fun day. A little foretaste of the summer days to come. And then today we had our first picnic on the back stoop. Elsie commented that she likes eating her food outside and I told her that food tastes better outside. It's a mystery of the universe, but it is true. Ivar thought about it for a moment while he chewed his grilled cheese and confirmed, "it really is true!"

an art auction

After Ivar drew all the pictures of our farm in the summertime he drew a picture of Troy and Sara's family. And I told him he should draw a family portrait of every family in the Groves clan and have an Art Show where they could buy a work of art for $1. So we set it up in his room, with a post it note for a dollar on each portrait. 

But then Aunt Sara suggested we turn this art show into an art auction. Ivar didn't quite understand what that meant, but as he watched the bidding from his top bunk he started to catch on. The first piece to be auctioned off was the drawing of Mimi and Papa. Ivar's big cousins kept raising the price by twenty-five cents and Papa kept up. Finally at "five dollars!" Rory called the bidding and Papa got his drawing.

Uncle Kyle bought the picture of Ivar and Oma Zina for three dollars. Oma Zina was downstairs because our steps are so steep. Josie won the picture of her family and Toby bid all the way to five dollars for the picture of his family, which included his dad dressed as a bunny and their new puppy, Meg.

 Ivar was thrilled and quite encouraged as an artist.

We went and had cake and coffee, and finally sweet Harriet woke up from her after church nap, just in time for a snuggle from Toby.