Fun and Games

Each year on Christmas Eve, my sister plans a couple of games for her children to build anticipation for the gifts they receive. Taking into consideration their ages and height for finding clues, she maps out a scavenger hunt for each child. This year Zach was included in the hunt.

He'll be 2 years old in February.

At the end of each set of clues, there is a wrapped gift for all of the children to share. The one she hides for each child is based on which one she thinks will be the favorite for that child. Since only one hunt happens at a time, the presents are saved until the end so they can all open them at the same time. 

The other game is not only entertaining when the kids weave their way through the maze, but it's entertaining to watch the adults wiggle through putting it together. 

This is Matt getting up after doing the military crawl through the obstacle course. :) Unfortunately the camera wasn't ready to get the shot any earlier.

Wish you could have seen Tracey wiggle through at 9 months pregnant two years ago. Ha!

What is this game? It's a yarn web. 

Each child has a color of yarn to unwind and at the end, they find their stockings. Overloaded and overflowing stockings, of course. :) Matt and I got into the yarn weaving process this year. Matt was specifically requested by our niece, Alison. He did a good job. 

She loved the process of navigating Matt's web. 

Kevin and Tracey tag-teamed on Justin's after Kevin had it nearly completed. As he unwound it, Justin was very patient. 

Here Matthew is giving Justin an assist. 

They did such a good job of making for a challenging web that he was the last to finish. 

Zach smiled and laughed the whole way through his yarn maze. This was his first year, so Tracey wasn't sure she'd do one for him. 

At the starting line and ready to go.

She decided to make his really short and Kevin helped him navigate it. Zach stayed with it and even got down on hands and knees to make his way to the end of his yarn. It's always fun when they "catch" the excitement of the season for the first time.

Matthew untangled the web I weaved. It was especially challenging for two reasons: 1. This was my first year to weave a web and 2. Matthew has a reputation, along with his sister, for finishing quickly. That mixed with my overachieving self and it was a tangled web to unwind. 

Matthew did an excellent job.

Stephen's maze was woven by his mom as well. He's such a fun little man at 5. In a cleared room, he's got boundless energy. In a yarn-webbed room, he is surprisingly unmotivated. He seemed to prefer reclining with me on the couch, watching everybody else. 

Nonetheless, he was encouraged to stay with it and saw it through to the end. 

They loved opening their stockings to find all sorts of things. 

My favorite Matthews are sporting new raccoon hats given to young Matthew and Stephen. 

Tracey always puts a lot of time, effort and creativity into these games. It's always rewarded with smiling faces and good memories. They'll not soon forget all the loving-care their mom puts into the traditions, celebrations and family fun and games during this season each year.