Ollie Ollie Oxen Free...

Well...

When I started this blog, I certainly wasn't intending to wait months between posts....and yet, here we are!

Because it's been so long, I suppose I need to go ahead and get the 'catching up' out of the way.

Things are pretty average and chill for us, which is always good! The kiddo has been doing super well in school and can't wait for summer vacation to start in a few weeks. [**sigh** oh, how I miss having a summer vacation...]

Now that Spring is well under way, the hubby has started back with his lawn maintenance business! [It's his second job, and man, it keeps him busy!] He's picked up several new clients this year, which means a loooootttt more work for him....I'm super proud of him, though!

**ponders**

Now that I think about it, I don't guess there's really all that much to update on...such a huge difference this year in comparison to the wedding planning chaos of last year!

Alrighty. I will try my absolute best to post again soon. Have an awesome weekend!

Fun Stuff...[Part 2]

As promised, here's the second-half of my previous post!

• World of Warcraft

My character is 'Aertimys'...the little graph shows how much
damage everyone did during a raid boss fight...check me out
at the top of the chart!

Of course, my 'go to' game is still World of Warcraft! Although I don't spend a whole bunch of time gaming anymore [not like my college days haha], WoW still gets more time than any other game. 

Currently, there isn't a ton of new content available...but there's always lots to do with this game. Right now, my biggest focus is on raising my main character's item level [getting better gear] so that I can be quasi-capable of keeping up with my guildies. [A guild is a group of people that play together in the game...I guess a lot like a club? Or a group of friends? Anyway...being in a guild makes certain aspects of the game much easier...but because I'm not a die-hard, consistent player, I'm perpetually behind my guildmates in the game. /sigh]

I really do like WoW, and I like that it's a game that me and the husband play together...but I have a hard time justifying spending a whole lot of time playing at once. To make progress, it takes spending chunks of a couple hours at a time [typically], and there just aren't many days where I have that kind of time! Especially when the kiddo isn't staying with my parents.../shrug

I suppose that's my main gripe about WoW right now. I'm sure I'll keep playing, and I'm sure I'll always be behind....but that's fine, it's just how it goes for now! ^_^ 

• Star Wars Battlefront 2

The kiddo and I got the husband this game for his birthday, about a month ago, and he's played it pretty consistently since then! 

I haven't played it myself, so I admit I don't know many specifics about this one. But I do know that's a very fast-paced FPS game [which is why I haven't played it!]. It has an online, multiplayer mode and a single-player campaign mode, and to me, looks very similar to Overwatch, but with Star Wars characters.

I've heard the husband mention unlocking 'heroes' by earning points. So, if you've been wanting an opportunity to play as your favorite Empire or Rebellion characters and like blowing things up, this game might be for you! 

• PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

This is another game that the husband has been playing a lot of lately. 

PUBG is an interesting mash-up of FPS and survival games...as the player, you get thrown into a gaming map with up to 99 other players [so, groups of 100!]...you drop out of a plane with no weapons or armor and are left to survive, Hunger Games style. You can pick up all sorts of different weapons [there are guns, knives, and vehicles...but my favorite so far, was when the husband killed another player with a frying pan!] and items as you explore the map, but make sure you stay alert! As you're rummaging around, another player could easily sneak up on you and kill you!

This is another game that I haven't played myself. I really like the idea of it, but pretty much all FPS games stress me out too much to play! But, if you can keep level-headed about this game and not take it super seriously, it's probably tons of fun!

• 5-Minute Dungeon

Now, this one isn't a video game, but it's a lot of fun!

5-Minute Dungeon is a board/card game that Santa brought us this year, and we've played it a handful of times. I love it! I was wanting to find a game that the husband and I could play with the kiddo that didn't involve staring at a screen...I was looking for something that could be played in a relatively short amount of time [everyone knows how long a game of Monopoly can run!] and with a bit of a nerdy element to it....and this game fits all of the criteria!

The game uses cards, rather than dice, and plays through around 5 different 'dungeons.' There's a boss card [the final boss of the level] and several 'door cards' that the group must make it through in order to be victorious. Each player picks a character from the 10 pre-made choices, and each player gets a deck of cards that matches their character's abilities. Each player deck has cards with different symbols on it, similar to energy/mana cards in other card-based games. Players match these symbols with those on the 'door cards' and boss cards to defeat the monsters, and beat the game.

If you're looking for a fun activity for the family, we recommend checking this one out! 

Well, there it is!! That's the run-down of the nerdy happenings in our house right now...well, the gaming parts, anyway ^_^

What games are you guys into right now? Do you have any recommendations for family-friendly, fun activities? 

Fun Stuff [Part 1]...

If you follow me on pretty much any social media platform [Instagram, Google+, Twitter, etc...] you've probably noticed that 'gamer' is my tagline pretty much universally....however, aside from the random screenshots that get posted on my Instagram account, I don't actually talk about video games all that much! So, I thought it might be a good time to write a post about which games are currently my favorites, what my husband and kiddo are currently playing, and maybe a game or two I'd like to try out soon...

• Doki Doki Literature Club

This game is my latest obsession! It's currently available on Steam and it's free!! Seriously, if you haven't played it yet, there's no reason not too! [Well, almost no reason...there are some warnings that the game presents before you actually start playing...and those should absolutely be taken seriously. No joke.]

I don't want to give anything about this game away...but it was definitely surprising! It plays mostly as a super kawaii visual novel...with a twist! It's one of those games, that despite me having finished it, I felt as if it left me hanging [omg]...

It was so well executed, that I find myself searching on YouTube for videos about the game, delving into hidden secrets and meanings...and there's a ton! After you've played, watch this video by The Game Theorists video [linked here]...it's crazy!

Plus! The soundtrack for this game is the most adorable that I've ever heard!! It's happy, bouncy, and will get stuck in your head for ages!

**Tip: leave the game files open and visible while you play the game...if you don't, you'll miss out!

• Getting Over It

This is another game that seems to be super popular right now...search for it on YouTube and you'll see that there's no shortage of videos of gamers losing their minds while playing this game.

The premise of this game is simple....strange, but simple. You control a man while he attempts to climb a mountain made of various, random items. The catch? The man is stuck up to his waist in cauldron that's filled with water. You move the character by swinging around a rather large hammer/pick...and that's pretty much it!

This is most definitely a rage game. It's designed for you to fail and make you blindingly angry in the process! It's super entertaining to watch though! 

At the request of my brother, my husband downloaded this game to give it a try...he was a pretty good sport about it, up until a moment when he lost 45 minutes of progress in less than 5 seconds...

But, if you're a glutton for punishment and you've got about $8 to spend...check this out and download it from Steam. [And make a video of your gameplay so we can see how well you do! We promise not to laugh...too much ^_^]

• Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator

For some reason, the kiddo and his buddies are super into the FNAF [Five Nights at Freddy's] games...or at least the idea of them! 

This is the latest and last installment in the spooky series...and the first one that I've let the kiddo play himself. It's part 'sim' game [you set up and run your own pizzeria] and part 'jump scare'/survival...pretty on track with the other FNAF games.

There's a way to play the game and essentially make it jump scare-proof...but, really, where's the fun in that?

But if you're considering letting your small kids play this one, you might wanna stick close by the computer...because the animatronics can still give them quite a scare.

Right now, the game is downloadable from Steam for free!

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - Zombie Mode

An older game, but it's one that's seen a lot of playtime in our home lately. 

My husband has been playing this one with the kiddo...he says he's trying to introduce him to different 'big boy' types of games...but I think it's probably more that he's tired of playing Mario games and listening to DanTDM! [DanTDM is the kiddo's favorite YouTube personality...he's really good for kid-friendly video game videos....I generally don't feel like there's any problems letting the kiddo watch his channel...but, goodness, it can get old to listen to!]

Despite what you'd probably expect, the zombie mode of this game isn't terribly violent! Well, I mean, you are shooting zombies....but there's not a whole lot of blood/gore, and the zombies can't shoot back! So, really, it's more of a 'see how long you can survive' play experience. 

I don't personally care for FPS [first-person shooter] games all that much, but I've tried my hand at a round or two...it's fairly fun! However, I will say that I like watching the two boys play together...I always love seeing the two of them interact and bond with each other ^_^

**yawn**

Surprisingly, this post is turning out to be quite long! I've still got a couple of games that I'd like to write about, but I think I'm going to save those for a 'part 2' post. I'll work on that in the next few days...check for it soon!

 

Costumes, Pumpkins, and Candy...

Hey guys!!

Hope you all had an awesome Halloween....hopefully scored some candy while getting to wear a cool costume...I absolutely love getting to dress up and go trick-or-treating...with the kiddo, of course! [Who am I kidding, I probably enjoy it more than the kiddo does!]

**Hiss**

This year, we went with a Minecraft theme...the kiddo was Steve, my fiancé was an enderman, and I was a creeper ^_^ I ordered the character 'box heads' off of Amazon and we all wore clothes that suited our characters...it was a lot of fun! However, for anyone considering buying the character heads, be warned that they're not very practical...the boxes are so big, it's nearly impossible to get them to stay in position...and it's even more difficult to position them so that you can see! It wasn't as big of a deal for me and the fiancé, but the kiddo ended up holding his Steve head most of the time.

Itsa Bendy!

One thing about Halloween that I like even more than trick-or-treating is carving pumpkins! Ever since those little pumpkin carving kits became popular, it's been one of my favorite autumn things to do...now, I'm decently proficient at using the carving tools and patterns, so I like to try and branch out and carve designs that aren't necessarily 'pumpkin patterns.' This year, my kiddo asked me to cave him a Bendy pumpkin [from Bendy and the Ink Machine], so I gave it a shot! What do you think? I think it turned out pretty darn good!

However, as much as I love celebrating Halloween with my little family, I'm definitely glad to have the holiday behind us...mostly because that means its that much closer to our wedding day!! [I know, I know...I'm sure all of you will be relieved when the wedding's over with and I start posting about other things!]

Well, between now and then, don't be surprised if there are another couple of wedding-related posts...especially as all of the pieces that we've worked so long and hard on start coming together! Plus! I've got to share my crazy stress stories with someone! ^_^

Monday Mini-Rant...

Well, it's another Monday...which wouldn't be a Monday without a boat load of stress!!

Today, I received a letter from my heath insurance company, notifying me of my wonderful annual rate increase. *eyeroll*

So, as of now, my monthly heath insurance payment is already more than my rent and car payment combined! And! With my lovely increase in cost, there's a decrease in benefits!! How lovely! *more eyerolling*

My coverage was already 'meh' in the first place...and, oh boy, I can't wait to start paying more for even less services!! *so much eye rolling, my eyeballs have fallen out of my head*

Angry face!!!

Now, I'll be the first to admit, I don't know everything there is to know about politics. And I don't know much about the health insurance industry and why it's so complicated. But, I do know that it's horribly broken and is beyond ignoring or passing along to the next batch of incompetent political blowhards. What crap is this?!? Muck up the insurance system so much that even the most basic of plans in unaffordable...and then, charge us a penalty fee when we can't afford it!! Seriously?!?

*sigh*

Sorry for the mini-rant there...

It's just super frustrating. The fiancé and I are trying our hardest to save up as much as we can...but life has this obnoxious habit of getting in the way.

However, as much as I'd like to continue to complain about finances, I also need to acknowledge some of the positives!

We are in the teens of days left until our wedding!!

My fiancé and I met with our pastor to go over and finalize the order of ceremony...and she liked what I'd come up with! [I brought her a copy of my working draft of the wedding program to look at] So, in the next couple of days, I'm going to go have them printed off ^_^

Also, this week, I'm going to pick up my dress from alterations and we're supposed to be able to pick up the kiddo's suit...

I can't wait for the wedding to get here....and to finally be finished with all the craziness that comes with wedding planning!! But, I wonder, what will my brain do with all the free time when everything's finished?!? [Mostly kidding! I'm sure my INFJ brain will find plenty of other things to ponder!]

Stomach Bugs and Accomplishments...

/waves

Hope you guys are having a good week so far...

All is good with us, things are chaotic, as usual. After all of the birthday stuff, the kiddo came down with a mild stomach bug...he’s feeling better now, but had gotten sick while at school twice! (He stayed home today to recuperate and seems to be feeling fine, now)

Despite the upset tummy, we managed to hit a pretty big wedding planning milestone! Today, I mailed out our wedding invitations! /woohoo!

Well, I mailed out most of the invitations...there are a few stragglers that will be going out tomorrow. Hey, some addresses are hard to find!

I expect that in a few days, I’ll have to start keeping up with RSVP responses...and that’ll be a whole new task with new stresses...but until then, I think I’ll enjoy the feeling of accomplishment from checking ‘invitiations’ off of the to-do list!

[Well, I’ll enjoy it in a few minutes...after I check on the kiddo and finish the last few invites!]

Less than 50 days left!! Will keep you all updated with the crunch time craziness ^_^

Birthday Madness...

Oh, boy, we had quite a weekend!

The kiddo's birthday was Sunday, so we've had our hands full with celebration stuff...this year, we let him invite two of his best buddies over to go to Treetop Adventure with us and then stay for a sleepover...now that is a daunting sentence! (The kiddo hasn’t ever had company stay overnight before, and I was seriously intimidated by the thought of having 3 boys at home!)

All of the kiddos had a blast at Treetop! (It’s like Chuck E. Cheese but with laser tag, go karts, jump houses, and bowling...it’s a ton of fun!) The boys played a few rounds of laser tag and loved shooting dinos in the Jurassic Park arcade game...the show stealer was definitely the go karts! All of the boys had such a blast driving and riding in the go karts, including my fiancé! (He’s really a big kid, which is one of the things about him that I love ❤️)

I was really nervous about the slumber party...but it turned out to be just fine!! Now, I’m not saying that I’d want to have one every weekend, but I’m actually looking forward to my kiddo having his buddies over from time to time! It warmed this mom’s heart to see them all smiling, laughing, and having a great time ^_^ Plus, hearing his friends say things like, “best birthday party, ever!,” “your parents are pretty cool!,” and “your house is the best! Can I come back over?”...all pretty awesome ^_^

So, all of that was our Friday afternoon and evening. Saturday, my brother came over and brought the kiddo a birthday gift and brought me a belated birthday present (my birthday is in August lol). Guys, my brother brought me a Nintendo Switch!!!! /happy squeals (Totally awesome move by my notoriously awesome brother...and I am eternally grateful!)

My brother had managed to get one of the newly released snes classics (the mini Super Nintendo) and he brought that with him, too...so we spent the afternoon and a good part of the evening playing awesome, vintage video games and just hanging out. Especially as we get older, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for us to just hang out together like we used to....so I cherish those times and hang on to each of them.

This brings us to Sunday, the kiddo’s actual birthday! Every year, I do birthday morning balloons for the kiddo...we blow up somewhere between 50-100 of them and flood his room with them, turning his room into a birthday celebration balloon pit! It’s a cute little tradition ^_^

I’ll admit, blowing up that many balloons is quite a task, even with my wonderful fiancé helping! (We blew up 75 this year and it took us around 40 minutes! Next year, we are getting air pumps!) However, I know there will come a time that my kiddo says he doesn’t want them anymore, he’ll grow out of it, and that time will get here much sooner than I’d like. So! Until then, I’ll blow up the balloons and marvel at how much he’s grown since the last time we blew them up for him.

All in all, it was definitely a great weekend!

Juggling...

Hey guys!

I've got a pretty busy schedule, but I plan to write posts whenever I can. I'm actually writing this one while sitting at one of my kiddo's extracurricular activities...he's taking archery!

As much as I love that he's learning such a cool sport, I definitely hate all of the sitting and waiting. All of the lovely sunshine and Alabama humidity makes for quite a miserable experience. Imagine sitting in a sauna, and all of the bugs make it even worse! Oh, the things we do for our kids...

How about you guys? Do you take your kids to do extra activities and such? If so, how do you manage your schedules?

With school being out, getting my kiddo to his activities isn't too terrible...but I know that will change in a few weeks. [Can you believe that the summer is almost over already?!] I know that lots of parents have perfected the juggle of school schedules and extras, for multiple kids, even!

I'm just hoping I manage too keep some semblance of sanity while I'm driving all over the place ^_^

Well, I was hoping to have some super cool gaming/nerdy thing to post about, but looks like parenting won today....I will definitely work on finding some more entertaining things to write about soon. Until then, I hope you guys are having a good week!