Chanukah Celebration in January

While Shayna was away on an 8 day cruise during Chanukah this year with one of her best friends and their family, she missed Chanukah ! So, on December 31st, we celebrated all eight nights of Chanukah on one night. We lit the menorah, made latkes, opened gifts ... the works !

This years gifts were NEW games for her ! This also translates into NEW games for Donnie and I ! The list of new games include (you will notice the entire educational theme here) 10 Days in Africa, 10 Days in Europe, Wordigo, Quiddler, Chronology, Go, The Inventions Game, In a Pickle, Landlock and the Settlers of Cattan. On our "One Night of Chanukah" (December 31st) we broke open several and played them !

I think my personal favorite Chronology. Here you are read a "fact about a specific time" and have to line it up in your timeline. If you are correct you get the card. The object is to collect 10 events correctly in your own timeline. The categories are Arts/Entertainment, Sports, Inventions and History.

Shayna's personal favorite games (so far) are 10 Days in Africa and Europe ! (doesn't matter which one !) Here you have to set up 10 places to travel that connect their by border or travel by car/ship or airplane following certain patterns.

Donnie's favorite game (so far) is Quiddler. This is because he is the scrabble person in the house. He can think of all those SAT words that you told everyone you would never use again !
He kills us when we play this one.

We still haven't gotten to all the new games - but games happen ** almost ** every night after dinner ! We love family games !

Came Back From Disney with a New Roller Coaster Buddy !

There are many defining moments that brings a child from "being a child" to "being a pre-teen". For my daughter, another one of these types of moments happened on our trip to Disney !


Shayna has always been a rather "cautious" kid. She likes to check things out, analyze them, ponder her thoughts and then make a decision. Until this past trip, I could NOT (I repeat NOT) get her on any ride with darkness or speed. Therefore, our trips to amusement parks had been fun for her and rather "dull" for me.


I like speed. I love roller coasters. I love the "not knowing what will happen next" on rides. Since Donnie won't go on these types of rides, I have felt it was selfish to spend an hour in line for a 2 minute thrill when it was "all about me." Our trips to Disney and other parks were all about our child - so I skipped my own thrill.


However, I have a new roller coaster buddy ! Shayna decided this trip that she is a ROLLER COASTER girl. It almost shocked me when she annouced she wanted to go on one. In fact, Donnie thought that I "put this idea into her head" and actually questioned her about it. But, she wanted to try the "real rides" at Disney.

First day in the parks, we are at Animal Kingdom. We rode Dino which was loud and scary but not fast. We headed over to Expedition Everest (see mountain in the background of the picture). This is the parks newest coaster. I watched Shayna's face carefully in line while waiting for this ride. She was nervous. I reminded her that she could change her mind without anyone knowing. She said she wanted to go for it. She rode (eyes closed) yelling the entire time. However, when it was over, she screamed "I am doing it again this time with my eyes open !" Jeannette (her friend who we took to Disney) and Shayna ran back on the coaster for a 2nd time.


We spent six days in the parks and the girls tried every coaster and went on them multiple times ! They loved waking up early and being the first people in the park at 7 am so they could ride over and over until a line formed ! They rode Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Test Track, Tower of Terror and Aerosmith's Rock n Roller Coaster. They also tried other rides which I didn't think they would like the Haunted House and Soarin'.


The final day we were at Disney, the girls were up and ready to go back to Animal Kingdom and they rode Expedition Everest SIX TIMES in a row - going in the "single riders" line over and over.

I am so excited to start going to EVERY theme park with my "new roller coaster riding buddy !"