Here’s a fun game to get your kids talking! My boys love this game and ask me to play when we are having dinner together or driving.
Because this game needs NO SUPPLIES, you can play during dinner, on a walk, or anytime you want to engage with your kids.
Would you rather….
Be Superman or Batman?
Eat Pizza or Hotdogs?
Ride a roller coaster or a water slide?
Go to Target or Walmart?
Laugh or cry?
Jump high or run fast?
Have summer all year or winter all year?
Be really smart or really funny?
Drive a truck or a sports car?
Go back in time or go to the future?
Be able to fly or be invisible?
Have ONE great friend or 20 pretty good friends?
Be in the Mountains or at the Beach?
Take a ride in a speed boat or helicopter?
Go Skydiving or Swim with Sharks?
Build a Sand Castle or Play in the Waves?
Go Skiing or Ride a bike?
Watch a Movie or Read a Book?
Go Rock climbing or Swimming?
Own a Cat or a Dog?
Write a Story or a Draw picture?
Clean the Bathroom or Vacuum the carpet?
Ice Skate or Roller Skate?
Drink Pop or Water?
Play Inside or Outside?
Take a Shower or Bath?
Take a trip to Australia or Italy?
Go Fishing or Make slime?
Play a Video game or Board game?
Have more time or more money?
VOTE WITH YOUR FEET:
If you’d like to play this game with more than one child, call it: VOTE WITH YOUR FEET! Kids have to vote for which one they’d rather do by WALKING to one side of the room! This gets kids moving and allows them to see that they have something in common with another person.
The winter of 2019 was so cold we didn’t get to spend a lot of time outside. 2020 has started much more MILD and we’re all happy about that. “Mild” in Minnesota means the temperature is a “warm” 30 degrees.
Here are some fun things we’ve been doing this winter:
Skiing
Luke learned to ski! I signed him up for a 90 minute class, and 6 hours later…he still didn’t want to stop skiing!
George and Clark joined the Ski Club at school. Once a week they go directly from school to the ski hill with their classmates.
Luke learning to ski and LOVING it!
Clark and Paul about to begin
George and Clark
I was just there for the hot chocolate! 🙂
Sledding
We found a huge sledding hill near our home!
Clark’s “homemade” sled…it didn’t work that well
George’s new sled – Christmas gift from his Grandma and Papa Chris
Luke
Shoveling
George and Clark are earning extra money by shoveling for neighbors.
Christmas
Christmas was a fun family day with just the 6 of us. We made pancakes and played lots of games.
The boys playing Hungry Hippo
Clark got a new jersey and signed card from Don Beebe
RataTat Cat – fun family game!
Luke, Paul and Ted playing Yeti in my Spaghetti
A Visit from Family
My sister and her family came to visit from Indiana. We got to go out to dinner, swimming, sledding, and visited Mall of America. This is their second annual trip to Minnesota. They come up and spend the New Year with us – and we spend 4th of July with them in Indiana.
Fun Day at MOA
Date night at Colita
Basketball
George, Clark and Paul are finishing their first season of basketball and they’ve loved it. We were all surprised how much fun this sport it. They’ve enjoyed playing, and the rest of us have enjoyed watching them play
Winter is for watching Movies:
Little Women – A friend invited me to go see this with her. It’s nominated for a bunch of Oscars and now I know why – it’s an INCREDIBLE movie! Watch it!
Where’d you Go, Bernadette? I really enjoyed the book and thought the movie was fantastic! (Get it from Redbox or the library)
Something we have NOT enjoyed this winter: The FLU 🙁
It started with Paul, jumped to Luke, and then to Ted. Thankfully, I only had one rough night! We are all better now!
He had the flu, so I probably shouldn’t be this close…but look at him. You’d hold him too, wouldn’t you?
Minnesota is a beautiful place, but I’d like to see what the rest of the country looks like too! How about you?
With four young boys in tow – we don’t get to see as much of the world as we’d like to. However, at Mall of America, you can see the most beautiful parts of the U.S. when you experience FlyOver America.
Our family of six visited this attraction during Christmas vacation and we LOVED it! It was an incredibly unique way for all of us to see parts of our great country that we have not seen before.
Each picture on this wall is a location that you fly over during your ride!
It’s a 4D/Virtual reality ride that makes you feel like your soaring through the open air (yet seated) with a giant screen and 180 degree views! The seats move up and down and sway to the side.
When you fly over the pine trees, you feel the wind in your face and SMELL PINE!
When you fly over the ocean towards Hawaii – you get spritzed with WATER!
During the holiday season, your trip also takes you to the North Pole. If you have children, visiting in November and December will be extra fun because there are “elves” that pop up throughout your travels. My boys got excited when they’d spot an elf. If the adventure wasn’t entertaining enough, adding silly elves certainly keeps kids engaged!
Here’s what I heard from my boys as we walked out of the FlyOver attraction:
George, Age 12: It was really cool! It gave me good memories.
Clark, Age 10: That was so good! I liked the blowing wind, smelling stuff, and splashes of water.
Paul, Age 8: I liked finding the elves and seeing them do funny things.
Luke, Age 5: That was SO fun! Can we do it again?!
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a future post that will include 30 things to do at Mall Of America besides SHOP! Subscribe so you don’t miss that one!
Because the kids were out of school, it was a little bit crowded. However, there are SO many different activities to do inside, it never felt “OVERLY” crowded.
I honestly wasn’t sure how my four boys (ages 5 to 12) would do at the Crayola Experience. They aren’t really into ‘crafting’ and ‘coloring.’ However, I was surprised by how much fun we all had. It was actually ‘soul-filling’ to spend the day creating, painting, crafting and coloring. Bonus – there was no prep work or clean up involved!
Here are some of our favorite things from the day:
Crayons with our own names! Creating coloring pages of ourselves!!
Each of us got modeling dough. I forgot how relaxing it is to be creative with play dough.
George working on his Silly Selfie
George’s Silly Selfie
We created our own puzzles!
Wax painting
The boys loved decorating a paper car – then seeing it come to life on the big screen!
Clark’s car
Clark created, then watched his car come to life!
A crayon “mimicking” Luke’s movement
Paul playing!
All the boys enjoyed the 2-story playground. If I had season passes, I’d let them play and burn some energy every time we came to the mall.
We took a break to go eat at Chick Fil A in the food court, but since our passes were good all day, we came back to continue our fun.
We watched a live show about how crayons are made, painted with watercolors, created creatures that “danced,” colored mini ‘pets’ that we got to bring home…and more!
At first I thought the admission price was a little high. However, once we had the “Crayola Experience,” the price seemed fair. The admission price includes all of the activities and stations, the play area, the live show, the ‘mini-pet,’ a crayon that you create, and modeling dough.
With a season pass, you can stop in any time for an entire year to create and play. It also includes other perks as well, which you can read about by clicking here.
Parking Tips:
Parking is free at Mall of America. I recommend parking in the EAST lot. Take a picture of your spot so that you can find your car at the end of the busy day!
Another tip: Because the mall is so big, it’s easy to forget which door you entered. When I walk into the mall, I take a picture of the first store I see. When it’s time to leave at the end of the day, I use the mall directory to find the quickest way back to that store, which will lead me to where I parked!
When we decided to move to Minnesota, we had NO IDEA where to plant our roots. There are hundreds of towns within a 30 mile radius of Minneapolis and we checked out MOST of them. Nearly every person we asked would tell us why their city was the BEST one in Minnesota. That made our decision extremely difficult, but we finally settled in Lakeville …and we LOVE it here!
(Buck hill is on the border of Lakeville and Burnsville)
Luke loves to Rock Climb!
Lifetime Gym – We are spoiled with a REALLY nice Lifetime Gym in Lakeville! Not only is it a great place to exercise, but we also love the Rock Climbing area (included with membership), Parents Night out (included with Membership!) and Swimming (awesome outdoor and indoor pools with waterslides)!
Summer is for making memories! Here’s the highlights:
A visit from Mom
Grandma came for her first summer visit in Minnesota! We got to spend a few awesome days together, which included knocking an item off the Minnesota Bucket List – a visit to Mill City Museum (click here to read about it). Then she graciously watched ALL FOUR boys so I could go to Florida for my second favorite memory of the summer…
My Cousin’s wedding in Florida
I spent four wonderful days with family in Sarasota, Florida to celebrate the wedding of my cousin (who’s like a little sister to me). My uncle rented a big house that used to belong to Flavor Flav and I spent 3 nights with family there – and one night with my sister on Long Boat Key. It’s the first time I’ve been back to Florida in SO long and forgot how much I love it there.
Me and my sister, Krista
View from Flavor Flav’s former house
There’s something soul-healing about walking on the beach, soaking in some sun, and playing in the waves.
My cousin’s wedding was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I’m grateful I could be there!
A Unique Birthday
Dropping off diapers and wipes at a Pregnancy Center
Hiding Dollars at the Dollar Tree
Ended my birthday with burgers at B-52
I learned how not to dread turning a year older – make it about OTHERS! This year my boys and I researched ways to give back to our community. On my birthday, we spent the day making a difference!
My baby sister’s wedding in Oklahoma
Another whirlwind weekend with family in another part of the country. I loved spending time with family, celebrating Brooke and her new husband, Jeff!
She had the sweetest wedding, surrounded by big trees, on a beautiful lake.
My sister, her new husband, and new step-daughter
Fueling up for wedding prep
Presenting…the bride!
Fourth of July in Indiana
Shipshewana
Rise and Roll Donuts
An annual tradition – me and my sister with all of our kids
We spent several days with our Indiana family – boating, tubing, fishing on the Lake. We also explored Amish country in Shipshewana, Indiana.
On our way home from Indiana, we stopped for an…
Adventures in Illinois
We visited two places I love… Bien Trucha for the world’s best tacos and…
Blackberry Farm – A fun spot we’ve been visiting since the boys were babies!
We came back home to spend the rest of the summer at home. Some of the highlights for July and August are…
Exploring the Twin Cities
We went fishing, explored parks and beautiful spots around the Twin Cities.
Como Zoo and Conservatory
Egly Burger Challenge
BURGER CHALLENGE STOP #5
We are on the hunt for the best burgers in the Twin Cities. This summer we tried FIVE different burgers places. When we finish, I’ll blog about what we discovered!
Mall of America
Co-producers
Apple Camp
Lego store fun
Log Ride
We love having Mall of America just a few minutes away. George and Clark did a free video editing camp at the Apple Store and all four boys tried their first roller coaster.
Back-to-School Ice cream party
We texted our neighbors, set out ice cream and toppings and 30+ people showed up in our front yard for a back-to-school ice cream party. Super easy and fun for everybody! I wish I would have snapped a picture of the crowd gathered in our front yard – but I didn’t, and it is one of the sweetest memories of the summer.
The Minnesota State Fair
THE GIANT SLIDE
I was going to skip the fair this year, but a friend gave me four free tickets so I took Clark, his friend Sam, and Luke.
We tried some new foods, rode the Giant Slide, enjoyed the Fair from up above on a ski-lift type ride called the Sky Glider and played some games. It was the last thing we did before school started and Clark called it his “favorite thing” all summer…well, “and cousins.”
The Difference a Year Makes
Sisterhood
One year ago, I attended a ladies night (Sisterhood) at our church alone. I sat by myself and chatted with complete strangers. This year I came with this group of phenomenal women.
I’m shocked at what a difference a year can make. Last summer we did some grieving and moving – this summer was filled with friends and happy memories.
It’s been fun to go back and reflect on the summer and see the generosity of friendship, the beauty of nature, and the Goodness of God in all of it.
Thanks for joining me on the summer road trip down memory lane.
Subscribe to follow along on our adventures through Fall!
Today I had father-son time with my oldest, George, who is going into middle school next week. I used our time together not only to have fun at the Mall of America, but also started a tradition with my boys who are going into middle school (and in a few years, high school). I was able to capitalize on this transition as an opportunity to invest in him, and talk about leadership and many other topics.
During lunch I shared (or re-shared) with him:
* Picking quality friends. We become like those we surround ourselves with, for better or for worse
* The power of a growth mindset (Instead of “I can’t”… “I can’t, YET”)
* The value of integrity
* The importance of kindness
* Going first (e.g. saying hi…first; smiling first; encouraging first)
* That his mom and I are always here for him (during good and bad times)
* The power of courage and taking action when you are afraid. Action cures fear.
At one point I teared up during our time (I know…I know…a little sappy), realizing I have the wonderful privilege to father him and his brothers.
Cheers to a great year, George!
Ted Egly is my awesome husband and father to our four cowboys. He loves good books and adventure races. He does Executive Development for Target.
Each summer, the Minnesota Vikings invite the public to come and watch them practice. The tickets are FREE. Parking is $10 (if you purchase the parking pass online) and $20 at the door.
They open up the Vikings Practice Field several hours before practice and fill the grounds with games and fun activities for all ages.
Things to do at Training Camp:
Take your kids to play in the Kids Area. This is open before, during, and after practice!
No kids? Find Games for all ages throughout the training camp
Like to show your moves? Have a Dance party with a live DJ!
Take pictures with cool photo ops all over the place
Get autographs from players. A few players come out each day for autographs.
Eat at one of the many concession stands or food trucks
We started at the ‘Kid’s Area’ – it was filled football related games. All kids are invited to participate in a “combine.” They get their picture taken, then are tested in their high jump, their throwing skills, and their speed. They can get a printout at the end showing how they did in each area.
There’s also a space for flag football, corn hole, and other games.
There are also lots of fun spots for pictures.
You can’t bring food in, but the price for food is actually reasonable. (We DID bring in water and Gatorade)
$3 for hotdogs,
$5 burgers,
$1 for a bottle of water.
If you didn’t bring kids, there are other games throughout the arena (for all ages) where you can win prizes and Vikings tickets.
Once practice begins, you can find a spot in the grass or on the bleachers to watch. There is no assigned seating except for those who payed for a ticket or are season ticket holders.
We were super excited to watch #12 – our friend Chad Beebe.
I think he earned the most cheers that day. We were impressed with his speed and ability to catch every ball that came his way!
The last practice for the 2019 season is on Friday, August 16th – so if you can’t make it this summer, plan to attend next year. Click here to get your tickets.
I’ve been so busy ENJOYING summer that I haven’t stopped long enough write about it.
If we are friends on Instagram or facebook – you get a glimpse into our lives…but this week I took a break from social media, so I suddenly had the urge to write down what we’ve been up to!
Sunday Funday:
We went to church in the morning. In the evening, Ted and I went to the adorable town of Wayzata. We had an amazing dinner at Gianni’s Steakhouse. We looked at each other in disbelief that we’ve lived here over a YEAR and haven’t yet explored this delightful little town – right on Lake Minnetonka!
The water is my #happyplace
Our family is doing a Twin Cities Burger Challenge. We are trying top ten Burger joints (according to the Minnesota Monthly Magazine) to determine which restaurant in the Twin Cities has the best burger. We decided to visit Gianni’s by ourselves because it’s a little fancy and better for date night. You can follow me on instagram for updates on “finding the best burger #eglychallenge.”
I’ll also write our thoughts on the best burgers when we finish the challenge, as well as how we thought they ranked in the following categories:
Kid-Friendly,
Price,
Ambiance, and of course,
TASTE!
Burger Challenge
Gianni’s Steakhouse was stop #3 on our Burger Challenge. It was DELICIOUS, with a fabulous patio right on Lake Minnetonka.
Monday at the Mall
#georgewilliam and #clarkwayne discussing their movie
I signed George and Clark up for Apple Camp on Movie Creating and Editing. If you have an Apple store in your area, click on this link – the camps are FREE and lots of fun! Here’s a short movie the boys created (no sound):
We met some friends at the movie theater to watch The Lion King. We loved it. It’s almost identical to the original cartoon, but the real animals make it better!
PS – Tuesdays at our theater is DISCOUNT day. Tickets are reduced and popcorn is FREE. Check your local theater to see if you have a “Discount Day.”
Wandering Wednesday…
We were back at Mall of America for Day 2 of Apple Camp. The boys created another movie. Here is George’s short film:
After camp, I let the boys choose a ride at Nickelodeon Universe. Clark, Paul, and Luke wanted to go on their first BIG KID roller coaster. Luke was an inch too short and CRIED that he couldn’t ride with his brothers. Clark and Paul LOVED it though!
Thoughts on Thursday …
Thursday we went to our local library. It’s been closed for renovations and we were so happy to have it re-opened.
The big boys also have Sports Camp every Thursday. They’ve had an awesome coach and really enjoyed it.
TGI Friday…
The boys went to their final class at The Apple Store. Then we spent some time fishing and playing at the lake with friends.
Orchard Lake
Saturday Adventures…
We went back to Wayzata to let the kids play at the beach on Lake Minnetonka.
#lukewashington cheerfully posing for a picture for me
#paulwalter searching for beach treasures
Ted tossing a football with the boys
We are kind of spoiled with all the pool swimming we do, so the kids and I don’t love swimming with all the rocks and muck at the bottom of the lake. We left after a couple of hours and went to the pool to swim.
First, though, we picked up burgers at Lions Tap Family Restaurant to try their “Famous Burgers” in our #eglychallenge. (Stop #4 of 10) Lions Tap is a hole in the wall place, but the boys and Ted LOVED their simple burgers.
That’s a peek into our week!
Leave me a comment to tell me about your week.
PS – you now may have to “sign in” to leave a comment. I was getting a TON of spam and had to change the way comments are made. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Today marks ONE YEAR of living in Minnesota. I knew nothing about this state except that it gets really, really cold. However, in spite of the cold, we still really, really like this place!
So far I’ve crossed nine items off my TOP 25 Minnesota Bucket List. I now want to add AT LEAST 50 more things to that list. I’m truly surprised at how much there is to do and see in Minnesota!
This morning, the 3 big boys and I went to breakfast and talked about the things we’ve loved most, the things that have been hardest, and the moments we remember most.
What we love most about Minnesota:
The people who have welcomed us! We also enjoy living close to the Mall of America. They boys could fish every day – so living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes comes in pretty handy! George’s favorite restaurant is Portillos and he was thrilled to find it here. Ted is thriving in his role at Target. I’ve enjoyed exploring a new state and discovering all the beauty and history here. We are also thankful for our new church.
Moments we remember:
Our neighbors intentionally stopping by to say hello and new friends inviting us into their homes or onto their porch for a drink.
The hard part:
Moving is hard too. The hardest was saying goodbye to beautiful Colorado Springs, our amazing friends and a church we loved. Clark said, “I miss walking into church where everyone knows my name.” (He and I are the SAME. We love to know and be known.)
I’m thankful to have discovered that Minnesota NICE is a real thing. I’m grateful for this journey with Ted, and the brave and courageous #eglyboys. Living a life of an adventure with them is more than I could ever ask for!
