Deal or No Deal - Home Version

Since Pete likes to watch the TV game show Deal or No Deal, we had thought about getting the home version for him as a Christmas gift. But if you think about it, playing the standard game of Deal or No Deal is even more pathetic than watching the show - primarily because you don't stand to win any of the money, which is where the show derives all of its drama. (If you don't believe me, go to this website and try playing the game more than 1 or 2 times to see how interesting it is.)

So we had an epiphany that we could create our own version of the game. We worked on it for a few weeks, and finally played with Pete on Saturday. It also helped Sam learn his numbers, because he would grab the envelopes after Pete selected them. It was great fun. We had no idea how much he would struggle with deciding whether to accept the deals.

In case you are wondering - Pete fared pretty well in the game. After opening 18 envelopes, he still had 3 of the top 4 prizes left on the board. But surprisingly he decided to take the next deal we offered, which was a game of "Hide and Seek". (Note, the remote controls in the picture are the "buttons" he used to indicate "deal" or "no deal"). I'm sure we will get to play again many more times in the future. Next time it will be Sam's turn to select the numbers. But they both get the prize.

Apple on a Stick

Here is Pete eating an apple on a stick for snack. (He did eventually finish it). Thanks Parenthacks!

Simon

We tried playing that game Simon with Pete on Saturday. You may remember this from the 70's - there is a random sequence of lights that you need to remember and repeat. We don't have the actual game, so we just used small colored tokens on the floor to represent the four colors in the game.

There are two issues to be aware of when playing Simon with Pete:

1. When Sam is around, he will do anything possible to disrupt the game.

2. The adult administering the game needs to have pencil and paper, because it is impossible to remember a sequence long enough that it will defeat Pete.

We are planning to keep track of Pete's record and update it on the refrigerator. Maybe some of you want to try it and submit your record in the comments. Click here to download a spreadsheet that will create a random set of colors for you to use.

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Update
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Pete's record as of 10/3/06: 16

Vacation Day 2 - Buried Treasure

After discovering half of a pirate treasure map Monday evening (while digging a pit for the barbecue), an all-out search was on for the second half of the map. We located the second half in the net while crabbing on Tuesday morning. So then the hunt was on.

Pete and his friend Aaron trying to decipher the map:


Once we located the "X", it was time for some digging:


Once we got the chest out of the ground, it was time to distribute the booty:


Pete wore some of his new items to dinner that evening. The pirate restaurant we sought was just an empty lot, but we found a cool place named Goombay's nearby anyhow. Pete tried a new food - Popcorn Shrimp.

Captain Jack was a bit intimidated by Pete when we went to the Roanoke Festival later in the week:

Who Could Hang a Name On You

Sam's favorite restaurant is Ruby Tuesday (Pete likes it too). So you can imagine that they were quite pleasantly surprised when I informed them that there is actually a song called Ruby Tuesday. I burned it on to a CD, along with a few of their other favorites, to take on vacation with us.

Pete's Carnival Party - The Games

Pete's carnival party for his 6th birthday was held on Saturday, and he had a great time. The weather was great, sunny and about 10 degrees cooler than the 103 we had earlier in the week. Today we will mention the games, and then later in the week perhaps we can look at the people and the aftermath.

The Games - There were a total of 14 games, assembled from household materials, plus the standard music/bubbles/popcorn/cake:

(note, I took the pictures below before most of the games were completely set up)

Tic Tac Toe - Throw ping pong balls into cups
Smashinator - Knock down cans with beanbags
Bucket Bash - Throw a ball into a basket
Super Squirt - Shoot a ball off a peg with a water gun

Fishing Frenzy - Catch "fish" with a magnet and paper clip
Mega Jump - See how far you can jump on colored grass
Sweet Tree-ts - Grab a colored prize from the tree (after Mega Jump)
Roll the Sponge - Roll a ball into a hole in Spongebob board
Super Toss - Toss two rings onto a peg
Drip Drop - Drop a paper clip into a bottle

Lucky Ducky - (not pictured) Pull a duck to be awarded more tickets
Big Shot - Shoot a basket
Cow-a-Grab-a - Grab a lollipop with a cow squeeze crane

Mystery Machine - Grab a prize hanging inside a tent (note the tent sagging in the middle from the weight of the prizes). Somehow all of the kids ran directly to the Mystery Machine when we sent them off into the carnival, even though in the planning stages we thought this was a bit of a dopey concept.

New Foods = DQ

Here is Pete enjoying his reward trip to DQ for trying 4 new foods last week. He needs to eat a lot and try some new foods so he can grow enough to ride in the go karts when we go on vacation at the end of August.

He is demonstrating a new side technique that he developed, for what purpose I can't remember.

Note, he did get a good haircut later that evening.

Important Note If You Are Taking A Bath With Pete

If you are taking a bath with Pete - regardless of what he may tell you, do not let him decide how much bubble solution to pour in.

Digital Camera Game

One of Pete's favorite games is the digital camera game. You go all around the house taking close-up pictures of various objects or places. You need to include just enough detail so that the item is uniquely identifiable. Then Pete goes through each picture and tries to locate the item. It can be good exercise, if you make sure each picture is on a different floor of the house. I think Sam is almost ready to try the game. We will have to try it with him. Maybe we can do things in his room to start.

The Rhyming Game

I was playing a game with Pete the other day. Basically, you sing this song to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush":

I know some words that rhyme with car,
rhyme with car,
rhyme with car.
I know some words that rhyme with car,
Do you know some too?

Then Pete says words that rhyme with car, and then you do other words.

Then I said "ok, Pete, it's your turn". He looks frantically around the room to think of a word, then sings:

I know some words that rhyme with picture,
rhyme with picture,rhyme with picture.
I know some words that rhyme with picture,
Do you know some too?

I thought for a moment and said "sorry Pete, there are no words that rhyme with picture".

He thinks for a second and says "what about mixture?"