Plague of cuteness.
The original title of this post was “500 photos of kittens”… which the kittens published for me, this morning, (accidentally,) by stepping on the keyboard… and I guess I should be glad they did not somehow email North Korea.
Kittens = wild hooligans of destruction.
I keep going with the kitten photos below, keep scrolling if you donāt care what Iām reading!
***
What I’m reading: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond
On the surface, this explores housing issues in Milwaukee, in the very poorest neighborhoodsā¦ but itās incredible insight into how the instability of poverty utterly destroys social structure; disproportionately affecting children and women.
If that sounds boringā¦ itās not. Itās amazing. And insane. And infuriating. And terrifying.
This is what poverty takes from you: the ability to choose from GOOD OPTIONS.
It reminded me of one of my favorite books:
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx, by byĀ Adrian Nicole LeBlancĀ Ā
The reporting spans over 10 years and follows two young women from the Bronx.
Reading these stories makes you realize how EXHAUSTING poverty isā¦ how being poor is a JOB THAT LEAVES NO TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE; the systemic nature of it, to escape is nearly impossible… especially when you had a baby at 13.
PS, if you are a “game” family, and have a favorite game, I would love some recommendations!! We like Balderdash, Spoons (the card game– it’s super easy and moves fast!), Taboo, Cards Against Humanity (limited audience, not for kids! and also not for parents, if your parents are like mine), stuff like that! And it’s nice to have a new one at the holidays.
December 15, 2017 @ 10:46 am
OMG…..you HAVE to see this!….All the fluffy talk reminded me of it….https://youtu.be/SNLJDR-XbVY
December 15, 2017 @ 10:46 am
Nothing makes a day seem better than photos of kittens sleeping. Don’t you wish you could cuddle with them. That probably explains why I had eight cats at once. That and I accused the animal rescue of always putting two in a cage together, who could take just one. After they were all gone I said “no more’. Well I weakened and got one. Four years later a got a phone call ” Mommy we just found a tiny abandoned kitten someone just left in a laundry room of an apartment…” Now there a two.
December 15, 2017 @ 10:48 am
We have found lately that we really like Code Names, though if you want a quick game that can be played dozens of ways I would go with Tenzi. The rules are so ridiculously simple that it makes it even more hilarious when someone cant get the dice to act appropriately to their desires š
December 15, 2017 @ 10:49 am
Oh how I miss that wonderful feeling of having kittens fall asleep on me – the best feeling ever! I love the shot of the kitty asleep in your sleeve, just way too much cuteness.
December 15, 2017 @ 10:54 am
The game you’re looking for is called Secret Hitler. As a family who seems pretty fond of historical events and humor, it is THE game for you. I think it might have been made for you guys!
December 15, 2017 @ 10:56 am
Oh the sweetness of those babies ! I pretty sure I am diabetic now looking at the fweeffiness!
We love to play cards in our family. And by play cards, I mean demolish and or take down our opponents. We love 5 crowns and Phase 10 and Uno. Itās not uncommon for any of us to be sitting down relaxing after a long day when suddenly someone says ā wanna loose in UNO tonight?ā
Bring it!!!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:00 am
Try Superfight, it’s a fun game, kind of like Cards Against Humanity, but not so R rated. You have to build a “superhero” out of the cards you’re given, then battle the other players, and make your case as to why your superhero would win.
December 15, 2017 @ 11:02 am
Note to self….must get zip up hoodie before next batch of foster kittens arrives (do not own one) to allow for extra snuggle time….
And the craziest thing is I just spent an hour looking for a new game to buy on Amazon for the holidays and read lots of reviews. I decided on Codenames….so glad to see all these other recommendations!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:08 am
There are so many great games!! If you like Balderdash you might also like Dixit and Mysterium. I would also recommend Wonky, Sushi Go, Rhino Hero, Sherrif of Nottingham, Raise Your Goblets, and Imagine.
December 15, 2017 @ 11:13 am
Random Family still blows me away after all these years. As does this line from Greg Boyle’s book, Tattoos on the Heart: “Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.”
December 15, 2017 @ 11:15 am
Loving pics of kittens, along with the book recommendations, and the game recommendations that followed. 20 Questions (amazon) was recommended to me (haven’t actually played yet but bought due to the high rating) and our family did play the game “Heads Up” at Thanksgiving which is actually an app for your phone (we used the free version)- this is a guessing game where the phone is held against the guesser’s forehead and the word is on the screen – very entertaining and simple enough for most ages. Merry Christmas!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:17 am
Love your fwuff nuggets! Our family loves playing Scrabble Slam! – simply a deck of letter cards, where you frantically try to get rid of all the letter cards in your hand by piling them on to one preset four letter word, making new four letter words with each card. Whomever gets rid of their cards first wins. I can also give Telestrations a second thumbs up!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:19 am
If you like CAH, but want something that works with a general audience, pick up Apples to Apples! Similar game-play, but it’s good for all ages.
Pictionary is another fun one for a group to play (it’s team vs. team and involves drawing, which is hilarious if no one is even close to being an artist).
December 15, 2017 @ 3:03 pm
This was going to be my comment too! Apples to Apples is like a cleaner Cards Against Humanity, but still so much fun.
December 15, 2017 @ 11:22 am
I canāt stand it – too much cuteness before 9 a.m.!
Games? Iām thinking about getting one called Sway. Itās ānicerā than Cards Against Humanity and sounds fun!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:22 am
We like the game Sherif of Nottingham… you get to LIE! And cheat! And try to guess who is lying and cheating. Itās an awesome game for family togetherness. š
December 15, 2017 @ 11:23 am
The Looney Labs game Chrononauts is my absolute favourite! Fluxx, by the same people and with LOTS of variations, is also really good. Once Upon A Time is a storytelling game that is most ages friendly… the under sevens might have trouble with the rules.
December 15, 2017 @ 11:24 am
My favorite card came is The Great Dalmuti (https://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Hill-936851-Great-Dalmuti/dp/B000BZB56W/) It is super fun and addictive but also very flexible. There are short rounds but each round affects the next so you can play it for just a few minutes or hours. The instructions say 5-10 players but you can play with two people (you just end up holding a lot of cards) and more than 10 if you get a second deck.
PS. Please give the fuzzies extra kisses on my behalf.
December 15, 2017 @ 11:24 am
If you’re not turned off by games that make you learn something, Yotta Know Birds and Yotta Know Mammals are fun. So glad someone on the planet is still a lover of board games!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:25 am
The kittens are devastatingly adorable !!!!!!
December 15, 2017 @ 11:25 am
Set is a great game. It is a visual get and for whatever reason, women tend to be better at it than men.
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/toys-games-set-the-family-game-of-visual-perception/21734822?ean=9780963469106&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_New+Core+Shopping+Home+Gift_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP165163&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgs7RBRDoARIsANOo-Hg3AKHlNxYOGzdH0q-UuWDBwYFL1MzCEW2zbvE109iVan9CjEyTBdEaAkmMEALw_wcB