Teething and Table Top Games

I'm a Gamer.  I play games.  Lots of games.  Board games, card games, cooperative games, party games, deck-building games, you name it...I've probably played it!  So Many Games...So Little Time. That says it all. I've loved that phrase ever since my husband opened his game store nearly ten years ago.

As the wife of a game store owner and the editor of a board game podcast, I've definitely had my fair share of experiences with games.  There are a lot to choose from.  But recently, that phrase has found new meaning.  Particularly the second half.  SO LITTLE TIME.  I never realized how much free time I actually had in my life until it was gone.  So what changed?  I became a mom.

The moment I held my son in my arms I new nothing would ever be more important.  I had prepared myself for the fact that gaming would take a back seat to my role as a parent, but I was sure that I would still have time to play games, edit podcasts, buy groceries, catch up on my shows, cook dinner, keep the house in order, and sleep.  Piece of cake!  Right?  Wrong.

No amount of books, discussion with family and friends, or practice in a daycare could truly prepare me for my role as a full-time mom.  The level of exhaustion a mother reaches far outweighs any all night D&D sessions or four day gaming Cons, and my son didn't make it any easier on me.  He decided to wait until after his one year birthday to finally sleep through the night.  Now that's a lot of sleep deprivation!

Lack of sleep aside, over the past year I have learned to balance my new life.  I think of it as a game.  Each day I discover new strategies to improve my previous day's score.  Today's Challenge: completely edit a podcast before nap time is over.  Challenge complete!   My most recent victory, achieving a full night's sleep.  Wait, What?  He's getting new teeth?  Crap!  Time to level up my character.

So there you have it.  I'm a mom, I'm a gamer, and I'm here to share my experiences with you.  Everything from games you can play with a baby on your hip to how to bake fresh Lembas bread for a full night of Tolkien-themed fun.  YUM!