Play Squares

Natalie has a new favorite game. To most people it's known as Blokus, but Natalie calls it "squares".

I have bought the game Blokus 4 times over the years, cause the kids will see us play it and want a turn, and no matter how carefully I guard the game while they play or the following days, they inevitably loose pieces. And if it's a game I like and want to play with them or Corey, I have to have one complete game with no missing pieces for myself. So with Blokus I got a new one for Christmas that is complete and carefully hidden in my closet to keep it safe. Cause we all know once the kids play with it, pieces will go missing. It's super cute seeing the kids play squares though. It keeps them quite entertained. "Mom, do you want to play squares?" The game is played by choosing a color and putting the squares on the board. And you better not touch Natalie's red squares or she'll gnash her teeth at ya.

Natalie also likes Othello. That one is called "circles". The Othello game isn't complete, We were missing just two circles until recently when I let the kids use it again, and now we are missing 3 circles. Last year in Brazil, as I was unpacking after we arrived, I found an Othello piece and kept it safely in my purse until I could return home and put it with the game. Happy moment when I was able to reunite it to the game. I doubt I'll ever find the pieces, which always makes me so happy when I do cause it's such a surprise. With just 3 missing it's still playable, but I'm sure someday I'll by a new game for myself. The OCD part of me wants to do it with all puzzles and games that I like - one set for kids that I won't care when it gets lost and destroyed, one set for me. I feel a little weird about it, but can hardly help myself. I just need a place for everything and everything to be in place, and if a piece is missing, the world is not at peace. Just one of those little quirks.