Stop ‘N Tow Game by MJ Moran
Stop ‘N Tow by MJ Moran is an interesting game that we have played several times. It requires more attention to detail and memorization but it is a lot of fun. I am cannot remember exactly where we picked up this game; it was while we were traveling several years ago. When we first got the game the girls were still too young to play well but since then they have learned how to play it and of course they always enjoy blowing the whistles! One thing I do want to mention with this game is…don’t play if you have a headache (the whistle blowing will probably be too much)! 🙂
- Colorful vehicles and road signs
- Includes 55 cards and 6 whistles
- 3 to 6 players
- Recommended for ages 8 and up
- Object of the game – to collect the most cards by memorizing the order of vehicles and being the first one to blow the whistle when certain road signs pop up
- Learning Benefits – memorization, attention to details, vehicles, signs, reading, and more!
- Whistles are dishwasher safe
This game is for a little older kids because they have to remember what each card means and recall from memory the stack of cards played before their card. After a few times of playing it the girls started really picking up on it. Since the players have their particular whistle in their mouths it is best to wash the whistles at the end of the game. Typically I wash the whistles with soap after the game and let them air dry before putting the game away. It is a super fun game, entertaining, and small (so you can take it with you on vacation).
We love games! We have found that playing games is beneficial for many reasons. It gives us quality time together as a family. The kids learn that they will not always win (which is not always an easy lesson to learn), but the game can still be fun even if you are not the victor in every game. It provides opportunities for us to talk and create memories together. Games teach and help our kids practice a variety of useful skills like following directions, reading, writing, counting, taking turns, and more.
Travel & Vacation: Visiting Our Grandparents
Playing in the sun room
We recently had an opportunity to go to Vermont and spend some time with Jake’s family. The girls had a blast playing games, doing puzzles, reading books, and more! They thought it was awesome having a dog in the house too and loved leading Irish around as well as learning how to give her various commands. It was a nice relaxing weekend with Jake’s Mom and grandparents. Thankful for a chance to spend time with them and have fun.
Brina hanging out near the stove with Irish. Hmmm….seems like Irish should be the one in that bed? She thought Irish’s bed was a soft place to sit. Irish was a good sport and didn’t seem to mind sharing.
Craft time! The girls loved doing crafts and were often found at the table cutting, gluing, coloring and more!
Jake and Gramps – Wonder what they are up to now!?
We made a stop by Eatons Sugar House in South Royalton, Vermont
Glad to see the bridge is back up and working again. It was taken out with a flood over a year ago
The river looks a little icy today, don’t think anyone wants to go tubing this time
PopPop looking great
Travel & Vacation: Sledding in Vermont (part 2)
Karlie sledding right past me, giggling the whole time
The girls had a BLAST sledding in Vermont. They tried out several spots for sledding. The snow was beautiful and the weather was perfect. They didn’t even complain about carrying their sleds back up the hills.
Brina zooming past me on the steep slope
Daddy’s coming down now!
Mommy is having a blast sledding too!
Brina all bundled up and sledding down the hill again
Karlie came to an abrubt stop when she hit a tree. Somehow she was the only one all weekend that hit a tree and she managed to get snagged on more than one!
There goes Brina Bee again!
Travel & Vacation: Sledding in Vermont
Brina got some air on that ride down!
The girls were excited to make up a trip North to Vermont this winter. They have been waiting to go sledding all winter and with us being in South Carolina we haven’t had any good sledding weather. The girls spent hours outside over the long weekend playing in the snow and sledding. We found some great places to go sledding!
Karlie kicking up some extra snow on her trip down the hill
Brina is ready for sledding
Karlie had some interesting stops on the sled
Going for a sled ride, the girls are really excited! Oh my, I think Karlie is getting ready to throw a snow ball right at me.
Here comes Brina! Look Out!
Here comes Karlie!
Travel & Vacation: Beach Fun & Parasailing in Labadee, Haiti
Hanging out with Grandpa Russell at the beach
After a fun morning at the Aqua Park and many trips down the giant water slide we spent some time relaxing, swimming, and digging in the sand on the beach. The beach was right next to the giant water slide so the kids (and adults) could go down it whenever they wanted all day. We swam, played, and spent some time tossing the frisbee, skippies, etc…. Another family gave the kids 3 little floating rafts to play with the water so that added to the fun. After having a BBQ picnic lunch on the beach everyone went back into the water to play for another couple of hours. It was a great day at Labadee, Haiti.
Aw….what a life….lounging around on vacation at the beach. Karlie is living it up!
Brina digging around in the sand
Little Zach content with his sea shell treasure
There’s just something about digging in the sand…it’s fun for kids of all ages
Nathan and Amber found a bunch of neat shells…..the only thing is some of the cool shells had residents with claws! Although Amber figured out a way to clear the water pretty quickly, ha.
The girls having fun splashing around at the beach with Nicko
Whose ready to go parasailing?
Do you see that little tiny black spot in the bottom middle of the mouth? Yup, that little speck is Josh way up there!
Lee & Becky parasailing together. They don’t look scared at all!
That tiny speck of white in the middle of the picture is the boat that is pulling them. Wow, the boat looks so small and that’s a long rope! Dad, Josh, Lee and Becky enjoyed some time parasailing in Haiti.
Travel & Vacation: Giant Water Slide at Labadee, Haiti
Karlie zipping down the water slide like a pro
After we spent some time at the Aqua Park we headed over to try out the giant water slide! The slide was a lot of fun. If you laid down, put your feet together, fold your arms across, and arch your back you could really get some speed going down it. A few of times you could see an adults arm or leg come over the edge of the slide on the way down. The slide was a hit with both the kids and adults. I know several of us went down it many times. We had a blast zipping down this slide and it was right next to the beach so it was really convenient.
Daddy, Brina, and Karlie heading up the path to get in line for the giant water slide. You had to walk up stairs and a cement path to get to the top, but usually once at the top you didn’t have to wait very long before you were flying down the slide again.
Daddy and Karlie washing off their feet before going down the giant water slide again. At the top of the slide they had a spot for you to wash your feet before going down it.
Oh yeah! Let’s do that one again!
Daddy and Brina coming down the slide!
And it ended with a big splash in the pool of water at the end of the slide.
Brandon all smiles coming down the slide. I am pretty sure Brandon went down the slide the most number of times, he loved it!
Got a picture of Nathan as he was popping up at the end of the slide….he thought it was pretty neat!
Daddy flying down the slide
This was my view as I snapped a quick picture at the end of the giant water slide…the expression of Nathan’s face makes me laugh!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Travel & Vacation: Aqua Park in Labadee, Haiti
Here come Daddy and Brina down the slide!
On our next stop we visited Labadee, Haiti. The place were we stopped was beautiful and relaxing. Our first stop of the day was the Aqua Park. You had to walk down a dock and they had a bunch of huge inflatables in the water from slides to trampolines and more. The inflatables were spread out so you had to swim from one item to the next and if I remember correctly the water was 30 feet deep in that area. The kids and adults had a fun time climbing, bouncing, sliding, splashing, and playing at the Aqua Park.
Karlie getting ready to come down the huge water slide into the ocean! It’s a lot harder then you think to climb up wet bouncy castles and slides!
Aqua Park fun! This one was a hard one to get onto especially for the kids, but Jeremy, Amber, Josh, and Lee had a blast on it! They managed to get it moving and spinning pretty fast.
The big kids had fun playing at the Aqua Park too! 🙂
Brina swimming past me on her way to the next Aqua Park item.
Daddy coaching Karlie has she starts to climb one of the icebergs
Swimming around at the Aqua Park
Go Ape by Patch
I picked up the Go Ape game by Patch at the grocery store on clearance for the girls for Christmas. It was a huge hit! Our family has already played this game several times since Christmas.
The Go Ape game adds a fun twist to the traditional game of Go Fish! Instead of asking another player for a card you act out the funny monkey picture on the card! The person who collects the most monkey matches wins the game.
It is hilarious watching the girls act out the various monkey faces! The girls is for 2 to 6 players and for ages 4 and up.
Creative Kids: Sidewalk Chalk Paint
With the warm weather just around the corner (it was in the 70’s here this past weekend). I want to share one of our family’s favorite outside crafts with you. Sidewalk Chalk Paint is super easy to make and can entertain the kids for hours. The sidewalk chalk paint can take the place of traditional chalk and is inexpensive to make at home. You can make whatever colors you want; we’ve done all the colors of the rainbow, including Charleston Green (which was requested by the girls).
We’ve had kids from 1 years old and up play with this neat paint and love it!
Sidewalk Chalk Paint
- 1/2 cup cold Water
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- Food Coloring
- Jumbo Muffin Tin
- Variety of Old Paint Brushes
Stir the cold water and cornstarch together until you have a smooth consistency. Mix in 3 to 6 drops of food coloring. Repeat the process until you have filled your muffin tin with a rainbow of colors. If you want to make less you can do 1/4 cup cold water and 1/4 cup cornstarch. You can make your sidewalk chalk paint darker by adding a few more drops of food coloring.
My niece Noelle and I were having fun doing her name together!
This works on any sidewalk or driveway, although smooth surfaces may be a little better. Our driveway is rough but the kids always have a blast doing this activity. When Jake’s sister and family was here a few months ago we did this activity with the kids.
Brina painted her name on the sidewalk
The sidewalk chalk paint will wash off your sidewalk or driveway and is safe for your grass and plants. If you have leftovers you can put them into empty yogurt containers and store them until the next time the kids are ready for sidewalk chalk paint. You may have to add a few drops of water if the paint has become a little dry but it should revive well after adding a little more water.
Travel & Vacation: Parks Near Charleston We Love! (part 2)
Karlie is our water bug. She is having a blast!
One of the girls favorite places to visit is Charleston. We have enjoyed finding a lot of neat parks near Charleston. Several of the parks we found while others were recommended to us by friends and people we met along the way. It is always an adventure hanging out with the chickies at the parks. They have a blast and love getting a chance to play, splash around, and explore!
Playing in the water at the park
A soaked Brina on the run and heading straight for me!
Chatting while Brina holds back a fountain sprayer and Karlie relaxes for a few minutes on the fence
Two little monkeys climbing on the tube slide at the park
Brina loves spinning in these red cups! Makes me almost sick and dizzy just watching them!
