Ever Play Spots?

Last night I met up with four other game lovers at Panera Bread to play some games.  I play three different new games I never heard of.  My favorite was Spots.  It's a doggie game where you try to match numbers on the dog cards to numbers you roll on dice.  The winner is the first to complete six dog cards.  Each player also gets a backyard where you have to bury dice you can't play.  If you get a total of more than 7, you go bust and have to start over.  You can also acquire bones which are good for being able to reroll if you get a number you can't use and don't want to bury.  There are cards to choose from on your turn that give different options as to how many dice to roll or how to get more bones or dog cards.  It was easy to learn and fun to play.  I was so close to winning the first game but took a chance that got me stuck and didn't pay off.  The second game I played with a different strategy and won in one long last turn just before we had to quit!

Drumming Fun

My husband and I went to the drumming class at the Parma Heights Senior Center today.  I had gone before and liked it but it was his first time.  This is quite popular.  We arrived about 15 minutes early and there was only one space left so we alternated.  It's pretty good exercise, especially if you do it standing up but you can also do it sitting.  It's a great way to relieve some stress.  They played old familiar songs and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  It's just like follow the leader.  Sometimes you hit the top of the balance ball, sometimes the side, sometimes the bucket underneath, sometimes alternating arms, sometimes clicking the sticks together and sometimes "air" cymbals at the side.  It can be challenging to keep up, but if you make a mistake, it really doesn't matter.  If you have never tried this, you should!  It's actually fun!

Quiddler--A New Game To Me

Image from Amazon

When I went to ladies game night at church Friday night, I had lots of fun.  We had salty and sweet snacks to eat while we played.  There were plenty of games from which to choose and people could play any one they wanted.  I played a new one to me called Quiddler.  It's a word game using cards which have one or two letters on them with a point value.  The idea is to use all your cards to make words.  A 10-point bonus is given for the longest word (most cards) and the most words in each round.  It starts with each person getting three cards.  You pick up a card and discard each turn.  You hold all the cards in your hand until you can play them all.  When one person goes out, the others get one more turn to play whatever they can manage.  Points are awarded based on the point value of the letters used and letters that cannot be used are deducted.  Each round, one more card is dealt up to ten.  After playing with ten cards, the game is over.  High score wins.  Rounds go fast.  It's a game for ages 8 and up.     

Fun Fantasy Football Season! Won Championship!

My third year playing Fantasy Football, I just squeaked into the playoffs with an 8-6 record.  I was definitely the underdog going into the playoffs but then my guys came through and I blew everyone out with a 2-week playoff total of 306.28!  I had the 1st draft position in our snake league so was able to get a good draft.  

This season went fast!  I read through two Fantasy Football magazines and watched the Fantasy Live show every week, and had fun picking guys up from the waiver wire along the way, adjusting my line up every week, and cheering on my guys.  I am a Browns fan and had four on my team (Njoku, Cooper, Defense, Moore and Flacco).  I had Flacco as a backup instead of Sam Howell who I played just for Jalen Hurts' bye week, picking him up so no one else could get him.  

Here are my Keys to winning:

1.  Draft good players that I would want to cheer for.  That means not drafting guys on other teams in the Browns division.  The only exceptions were when (1) I was short on receivers due to injuries so picked up Odell Beckham but didn't have to play him after all; and (2) taking the Steelers defense week 18 because I knew the Browns would be resting some key players.  

2.  If deliberating between two players, choose the one from the better team.

3.  Be willing to play good players even when they are playing against the Browns (my team).

4.  Don't put so much weight on the projection points, trust your gut and listen to Cynthia Friedman's advice on the Fantasy Football show.

5.  Don't put players who are playing early in the flex position.  

Do you have any other tips to share in the comments on keys to winning in Fantasy Football?  I'd love to hear them!

I'd like to give a shout out to my stellar players who were consistent and helped me win this year who were:  Jalen Hurts, Amari Cooper, Raheem Mostert, Breece Hall, David Njoku, Nico Collins, Justin Jefferson and Browns Defense.  I'm already looking forward to playing again next year.
 
Other related posts:

I'm Doing Something I Always Thought Would Be Fun

My First Fantasy Football Season

My 2023 Fantasy Football Draft

Ga Ga Ball is a Hit!

Source:  Google Images

I was so happy the weather was warm enough for us to play outside for the first Pioneer Girls gym night yesterday at Parma Heights Baptist Church.  This year, all the girls grades 1-6 will have gym time together and for 45 minutes instead of half an hour.  Last night, we had 23 girls.  We played Ga Ga Ball first with everyone.  It was a new game for some, including myself.  I looked it up on YouTube to see how to play it and the video explained and demonstrated it quite well.  (https://youtu.be/-nfPUsPDCNA?si=suBpxTpTS0inzy_U)   Once we played one game, I gave the girls the option to go play on the playground.  Ten chose to do that instead which speeded up the games some.  I like to give them choices if possible.  Everyone seemed happy with that and had fun! We played four games and then had the winners of each play in a championship game.  The winner of the night was Jojo, I believe a 5th grader.  She was very fast and aggressive.  Now I have to think of something fun inside for next month!

Getting Ready for Fantasy Football

Bear wanting some attention while I try to read.

I started reading my Fantasy Football magazines this morning and taking notes on what players I want to draft by position in order.  I try to stay away from picking players from teams in the Browns division because it's hard for me to root for them, but I will make an exception for JaMar Chase.  If I have an opportunity to take him, I will if there's no other player available I want that is as good (in my mind).  Last year I had Mark Andrews on Baltimore, but he turned out to be kind of a bust for me.  I wanted Travis Kelce, but he got picked by someone else earlier than I thought he would!  This happened several times when my next pick got picked before my turn came around.  

I am determined to get at least two elite players this year.  The QB's always get picked really early in the league I'm in so last year I wound up with Russell Wilson who turned out to be a big bust.  He wasn't terrible, but there were quite a few better than him.  I dumped him pretty early for Gino Smith.  I must remember to pick my QB earlier this year!

There are so many really good players, it's hard to decide who my first pick will be!

Day 5 of Kids Summer Shake Up 2023 at Parma Heights Baptist

small group devotions

Today was the last day of Summer Shake Up for this year.  Last night we had a big storm so the grass was all soaked as well as it being much cooler, only 69 degrees at the start, but thank God is wasn't raining!  We did some minor modifications such as playing kids vs. the leaders in a kickball game instead of the water games we originally had planned, and moving our devotional groups to the blacktop at the edge of the parking lot instead of on the grass.  The kids won the kickball game, but being fair to the leaders, we ran out of time before they all got to kick.  I forgot to get a picture of kickball because I was playing!

We were pleased to surpass our goal of $1500 for bedding for the Chain of Love orphanage in Brazil with over $1800!  The verse of the day was I am the vine, and you are the branches.  If a person remains in Me and I remain in him, then he produces much fruit.  But without Me he can do nothing. (John 15:5 Int'l Children's Bible)

game in back parking lot

Our second activity was playing grab the chicken where teams stand across from each other and number off.  One or numbers are called and those numbered kids run to the middle to try to grab the chicken and get back across their line without getting tagged.  Everyone got a turn.  

I only had to make one first-aid trip and one restroom trip today.  At the end, all the kids received a New Testament and a fanny pack.  Those with perfect attendance got to pick a couple snacks to go too.  They were very particular about what to pick.  There was plenty for the leaders to get some too.  I took the peanut butter crackers and Chips Ahoy.

It was a good week!

Day 4 of Kids Summer Shake Up 2023 at Parma Heights Baptist

Thursday we were down to 38 children in the 5th/6th group.  Our first activity today was making a bike plate.  This serves as a souvenir from Summer Shake Up.  They used markers to decorate their plates any way they wanted.  The plates were made ahead of time using a 3D printer.  There were a lot of very pretty ones!

In the skit today, the family on the road trip went to the Grand Canyon and followed "One Way" signs along a narrow path which was related to getting to heaven only through faith in Jesus which gets us on that narrow way that leads to life.  In the skit, the family wound up at a cross where the grandson presented the gospel and his aunt and grandparents trusted in Jesus as their Savior.  Today's verses were:  Jesus answered, I am the Way.  And I am the truth, and the life.  The only way to the Father is through Me,--John 14:6  and Enter through the narrow gate.  The road that leads to hell is a very easy road.  And the gate to hell is very wide.  Many people enter through that gate.  But the gate that opens the way to true life is very small.  And the road to true life is very hard.  Only a few people find that road. Matthew 7:13-14 (Int'l Children's Bible)

The kids got it rocking really well!

Our second activity was the obstacle course which made most of the kids very happy--they love the slip and slide and the water balloons!  In my earlier post from Tuesday, I forgot to show a picture of the bounce house that is also part of it so I'm showing that today.

That wraps up Thursday with only Friday left to go.  Donations for the Chain of Love orphanage in Brazil are coming in good.  

Day 3 of Kids Summer Shake Up 2023 at Parma Heights Baptist

The double white line is the finish line--
team on right had to start over

Other team had to start over too!

In the 5/6th grade group on Wednesday we reached 40 kids.  Today is a dry day for our activities.  Our first activity was a hula hoop jump relay in the back parking lot.  We had four teams with ten on each and the idea was for the whole team to cross the finish line without stepping outside of a hula hoop.  They could have up to two in one hoop.  This was a great game for teamwork because they had to work together.  The first person had like 5 hula hoops and put down one at a time in front of them and stepped into it, followed by other team members.  If anyone stepped outside of the hoop, the whole team had to go back and start over.  They played two rounds and the winner of each played against each other for the championship.  It was a close race!  

Sharks and Minnows

For the leftover time they played sharks and minnows with the workers being the sharks to start it off.  The kids had to try getting across to the finish line without being tagged by a shark.

The skit focused on Psalm 23 and was about our road trip travelers running out of gas.  The theme for the day was Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are his sheep.  Also, John 10:9 where Jesus says, "I am the door.  The person who enters through Me will be saved.  He will be able to come in and go out and find pasture."  

Our second activity was back in the woods again, only instead of playing Capture the Squirrel, they played helpers tag.  Most of the mud from Monday was dried up.  This time the ones doing the chasing wore yellow pennies which made them easy to spot.  I was having so much fun watching that I forgot to take a picture!  By the time I remembered, it was too late.  The kids loved chasing each other in the woods!

5th & 6th graders waiting with leaders to be picked up

At the end of each day, leaders bring their small groups back to the tent where they checked in at so parents can pick them up at noon.  The children give their name tags back to their leader when their parent comes to get them and the leader checks them out.  Each grade has their own tent.  

I was a busy runner today making two restroom trips, returning some extra snacks, trying to find the group that was missing a couple socks left by the slip-n-slide, and one trip to first aid at the very end.  Only two days left.  Be sure and check out the posts of the first two days if you missed them:  Day 1, Day 2.   

Day 2 of Kids Summer Shake Up 2023 at Parma Heights Baptist

Opening Rally with kids sitting with leaders by grade

Every day starts with some singing with all the grades and their leaders in the pavilion.  They also review the verse of the week all together.  Our first activity today was the obstacle course which the kids loved!  It not only included different obstacles to do, but also a fun water balloon fight against another group.  If the kids didn't get wet enough with that, there was also a slip-n-slide they could enjoy.  Here are just few pictures of some of the obstacles:

tunnel

hurdles, tunnel, hay bale climb

Water balloon fight

Taking jumps together

Bouncy Ball Ride

Slip-n-Slide Threesome

Most went 1 at a time on slip-n-slide

Heading to pavilion after
obstacle course for skit 

After the first activity, we all return to the pavilion for a skit that somehow relates to the lesson of the day and is usually pretty funny.  I really enjoy the skits.  They are made up by the skit crew and they do not follow a script.  They do a great job!  Today's was that the grandpa got all tangled up in his sheet when sleeping and sort of looked like Lazarus when Jesus raised him from the dead.  When groups move from place to place, the director leads with a flag raised that has the grade on it and each leader walks with their small group of kids holding up their group color flag.  Below are a couple pictures of the skit:

Read more »

I'm at the Playground by Roxy

Usually I only walk around on the ground cutting through this playground at Veteran's Memorial Park on State Road, but today since we went very early in the morning before any kids were there, mom let me walk up to the top of the slide where there is a nice lookout deck for me to lay on and watch over the park!  It is a good rest spot for me because mom can sit on the ledge at the top of the slide while I lay down as long as I want.

The first time I went was actually yesterday, but mom didn't have her camera with her so we did it again today.  I also had a very long fun run in the outfield of a baseball field.  It felt so good to be able to run full speed with no leash holding me back!  Mom started running along with me but she couldn't keep up so let me go on my own, then was a bit worried when she realized the big opening with no fence at the side of the field, but no worries.  I just did one big run for probably less than a minute and came right back to her.  Next time she says we'll do it on a different field that is all fenced in except for two small gate openings.

I love going to State Road park!

Share this:

Fun Times During These Hot Days! by Roxy

I am the one on top of the obstacle.

It's been so hot lately, in the 90s every day this week, that my mom decided to take me to doggie day care so I can be more active.  Otherwise she figured I would just lay around the house
ALL day.  She takes me on an early morning walk and then drives me to doggie daycare.  I like it very much.  It's fun to be with so many other dogs and have a big place to walk and run around in (my house is quite small).  There are two big indoor spaces and the outside space has shade in the morning, an obstacle to climb on and a pool.  I have not gone into the pool yet but like watching some of the other dogs play in the water.  Although it is hot, I am definitely more active at doggie daycare than I would be if I were at home.  I am not big on walking outside when it is upper 70s or higher.

I recommend doggie daycare to all dogs.  Woof!  Woof!

Share this:

Roxy's 1st Trip to Fernhill Park

Yesterday Roxy spent all day at the vet for her dental cleaning, a couple vaccines and to get microchipped.  It was a good day for it since it mostly rained all day and cleared up for her evening walk.  Anyhow, I felt bad for her so wanted to make it up to her.  Today we took Roxy to the Fernhill picnic area off Snow Road for the first time and boy, did she enjoy it!  It was only 69 degrees so a very good day to go with her there.  She likes cooler weather.

She made this video so she could tell you all about it!  After we got back, it was time for lunch and then she came with us to watch us play Pickleball.  She actually got to watch four others play too who were on the next court.  They were very impressed with her!

Share this:

Park and Shop 1960 Game

Park and Shop is a game I remembered playing from my childhood that I enjoyed.  Unfortunately, it got thrown away at some point, but I recently purchased a used one on Ebay.  It's a game that always changes because although the goal is the same, cards change your route from game to game and just like in real life, things come up that change your plans.  There are two versions, one where you just complete your shopping and get back home first to win, the other you have to use play money to make purchases and you earn points for accomplishing certain things.  We played the version without the money which is simpler, but I lost all the games! 

You get yellow cards that tell you what stores to shop at and you plan your route.  You get a red parking ticket when you park with another stop you must make on your way home.  If you land on the gray spaces, you have to pick a pedestrian card if walking, or a motorist card if driving and follow the instructions.  These may be good or bad, but usually they pull you off course.  When driving, you only use one die because cars have one engine and when walking, two dice because a person has two feet.  (This seems backwards though, since you can travel faster in the car than you can when walking.  I'd like to try changing this next time we play and see how it works.  The way the board is laid out, the parking lots are all close to the homes with all the stores more in the center of the board (blue spaces)). 

Anyway, it's pretty fun and even though I was ahead, those gray squares slowed me down enough for my husband to win today.    Since this was used, some of the token pieces are missing and I'm not sure what's going on with the motorist cards.  Most are red (like the parking ticket cards) and some blue, yet in the instructions, it says the motorist cards are red.  I'm thinking there must have been another version and some of the cards got mixed up.  Oh well, it's still playable, fun and one my husband can win.

Share this:

Rapid Recall Tests Your Short-Term Memory

One of the games we both enjoy is Rapid Recall.  It's a game there you have a list of 10 words.  One person has 60 seconds to give clues to their team for each word (or as many as there is time for).  Instead of calling out the answers though, you just toss a triangle into the middle basket and must remember your answer until time is up.  Then the team has 30 seconds to say their answers and retrieve a triangle for each one correct.  You can only have one answer per words though.  When you retrieve the triangles for right answers, they get placed on your half of the board and the first to cover all their spaces wins.  This is a great game for a group.  We've played with as many as 10 people, but it also works well for only 4.  With just the two of us, we had to modify it a bit.  We had Tigger on one team against Pooh on the other team and took turns giving clues and guessing for each.  Pooh won, but only by two.

It's really easy to get distracted.  With lots of people playing, it can be kind of fun and makes it more challenging trying to distract the guessing team, although only the person giving clues is allowed to talk.  Everyone else is supposed to be quiet so the team guessing can concentrate.  What usually distracts me is when I'm guessing and the answer isn't right.  That throws me off and I tend to forget my other answers!  Another problem for me was that when playing so many rounds, I was still remembering words from previous rounds!  It's harder than you think!  Sometimes, my brain can only remember 3 or if I say them back really quick without missing, sometimes I can get 4.  Gerard had the most recalled when we played with 6 in one turn.  That's good even for team play!  It's fun, easy to learn and doesn't take much set up.

Share this:

Hollywood Squares Is Fun and Easy!

Hollywood Squares was pretty fun.  Although I won $500 to $200, my husband made it competitive.  This was a TV show on a long time ago and is played the same way.  It's like tic-tac-toe, trying to be the first to get three squares in a row any direction.  In this game though, you answer questions before getting a square.  When it is your turn, your opponent answers a question and you simply must either agree or disagree.  If you are correct, you get the square.  If not, your opponent gets the square.  The only exception is that if the square will give you a win, then you have to actually get a question right and not get it by your opponent missing.  When answering, you can purposely answer wrong if you like or sometimes make up an answer that sounds possible to bluff your opponent into agreeing with you.  Or, you can even act uncertain and knowingly give the right answer to try to trick them into disagreeing.

Winning a game gets you $100 and there are some bonus questions that if answered correctly gives you an extra $100.  These questions are pretty easy because most are multiple choice or true or false.  The games go quickly.

I have used this game in my Sunday School classes from time to time as well, with Bible questions and the kids liked it.

Have you seen the show or played this game?

Share this:

Razzle Went Quick But Got Bored With Triple Yahtzee

Razzle is a quick-thinking word game where you try to unscramble words of at least 4 letters.  If adults and kids play, the kids can make 3-letter words.  When you say and spell a word before your opponent does, you move the tray of letter cubes one space toward your goal.  If you don't see any word, you can challenge your opponent and flip the 30-second timer.  Then if your opponent doesn't come up with a word, you get to move the tray toward your goal.  When you reach your goal (the end of the tray) you score a point.  You can play to 10 or 5.  There are score things on the edge of the board for convenience.  We played to 5 only because I kept winning every time.  We were done in just 10 minutes so then chose another game to play.

We switched to Triple Yahtzee for an hour and still didn't finish so gave up on this one.  It's just rolling five dice and filling in the score sheet with different combinations.  In triple Yahtzee, you actually play 3 games at once.  The score sheet has three columns--the first is straight, the second doubles the score of the items and the third column triples the score of the items.  You add all three column totals together and the high score wins.  The highest item is a Yahtzee (50 pts.)--when all five dice show the same number.  You have to add a lot in this game--total all dice for 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, chance, and the total of same numbers that are rolled; for example, if you go for 4s and roll 3, you would score 12 points. 

Which game would you like better?  Have you played either one?  I prefer Razzle but my husband didn't like either one.  It's small enough that you could even take it to a restaurant to play while waiting for your food.

Share this:

OUTBURSTJunior Is Easy and Fun

OUTBURST Junior is a fun game for us because my husband is pretty good at it so our games are competitive.  This is one we both win sometimes.  It is similar to Family Feud, except easier.  Instead of answering a question, you are given a topic and must shout out things related to that topic.  There are 10 answers listed below the topic and you score one point for each one you say.  Plus, you choose a card with a number on it and if you said that number answer, you score 3 bonus points!  Game is the first to reach 50 points.  It even has a little scoring device to keep track of the points.  You have 30 seconds to give answers.  You can play with teams or just two.  The blue topics are more for adults and the orange topics for kids, but usually we used the kid topics because they were easier.  Have you ever played this?

Share this:

Rook Is Fun if You Like Card Games

Rook is a card game with four suits:  black, green, red, yellow and numbers 1-14.  You can play just about any game with these cards that you can with a normal deck.  There are a variety of specific games listed in the table of contents of the rule book though from games for just two to games of as many as 6 players.  My husband and I played the regular Rook game for two and Tennessee for Two (fun card game for two).  Both games involved bidding, naming trump and taking tricks.  The only point cards are 14s and 10s which count 10 points and 5s which count 5 points.  High bidder names trump, but unlike other card games, the non-bidder leads first.  I thought it was fun because I like card games; however, Gerard just played along to make me happy.  He never wanted to bid so it wasn't very challenging.  Obviously, I won all these since I was able to name trump for the opening bid every hand.

This was my first introduction to playing cards as a kid.  Have you ever played with these cards?

Share this:

Let's Play Family Feud!

Finally, a game I lost!  Family Feud is a game my husband likes and can win.  He won two out of three from me when we played yesterday, although I scored higher than both his games in the one I won.  The singer and celebrity questions threw me for a loop.  The game works quite well but with only two of us playing, one had to play an entire game first and then the other.  Then whoever scored higher won.  It's very simple to play and works just like the TV show, except we allowed ourselves more time to answer since it was just one on the team having to think of all the answers.   

Share this: