It's odd, but again, I feel the need to justify. We do a lot of other things, as well - walking/running the dog, reading, shopping, math for Davan, chores and Davan does a lot of classes. Even with all that, it's amazing how much time we can find for TV. But, as I said, we're trying to limit it.
Right now, we're working our way through the second season of Dollhouse. Some episodes are a little much for Davan, but she's interested enough that she just hides her face when things get too hairy.
Anyway, we're having a lay low sort of day today, as we're both feeling a little blah, we've had a couple of busy days this week and Davan has 5 hours worth of physically taxing classes this evening, so this morning, we played a game over breakfast again.
This morning, we got out Careers. We went through a big time Careers phase last winter, starting one day when we played in front of a lovely fire on a cold day pretty much all day. After a couple months of fairly intense play, it started loosing it's shine a bit. However, we still enjoy it from time to time and today was one of those days.
Although, after I snatched the win out from under Davan in our first game, she both wanted a chance at revenge and was a little sulky. She'd been so, so close.
We went for another round. Sadly, I won by the skin of my teeth again.
Davan didn't sulk at all this time. She'd like you all to know that. It doesn't mean it's not true. She was a good sport.
We play a variation that we enjoy quite a bit more than the original. We each run two pawns, whom we name. We used to play that they were partners from the beginning, but we've lately come up with a new rule in which they play their own separate games until they meet (land on the same spot), after which time they combine money and resources (opportunities and experience). Pretty much they get married. They each still have to fulfill their own success formula, have their own careers and make their own salaries. We choose each time which person we're taking the turn for before we roll (rather than just going back and forth).
We long ago ran out of the formula sheets that come with the game, so we create our own on scrap each time we play.
We also like to vary the total for the success formula, depending on how long a game we want to play. Lately, we've only done the rule-stated 60, but in the past, we've gone up to 120 for each of our characters.
Our characters, of course, have personalities and such, which adds to the fun of it. It makes it a combination of game playing and imaginative play of the sort that Davan doesn't really do anymore, but did constantly up until a couple of years ago (maybe less). Now her creativity comes out more in writing and creating shows. And, it turns out, playing Careers.
:-)
ReplyDeleteWe have cut our TV HUGELY! We have never watched it during the day except for school or very, very rarely...i.e. rainy yucky day... However during and after dinner it was on constantly. No more. We watch maybe 2 hours a week TOTAL. It has amazed me how much other things we have gotten done.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that you all play games all the time. Keilee and I do too but we find it tough to find games that only 2 people can play. :) YAY for Davan for not sulking... ;) I have never heard of Careers. Is it like Life? I hate Life. :p Kei does too, she gets mad because she HAS to get married and have kids.
We like Careers much better than Life. There are a lot more choices in Careers, for one. Not everyone has the same goal - you each create your own goal with a mix of money, happiness and fame. Then you move your pawn about the board, taking advantage of opportunities that arise (there are opportunity cards for this) and chance landings on the entrance to specific careers (but it's always your choice to enter). There are also experience cards that let you move a certain amount rather than rolling. Different careers yield different things. Most have a little of everything, but, for example, teaching is mostly about happiness, politics mostly about fame and big business is mostly about money.
ReplyDeleteI know you know about Gamewright games because of Forbidden Island, but we really enjoy a lot of their games, many of which can be played by two people. Sleeping Queens, for example is a little young for Davan now, but we still enjoy playing it because it's fun. They have games more oriented for older kids/adults, too. Most of them are card games. We like Rat-a-tat Cat, Sleeping Queens, and Zeus particularly. I'm sure there are others, but we don't own them all! :)