Let the games begin...
As some of you know, our family decided to make some changes last year. We withdrew the kids from our local public school system, and went back to our roots of homeschooling. After the sudden loss of my mom in January of 2022, our family was left with so much grief and devastation. Prior to our loss, our schedules were packed to the brim with everyone going in opposite directions, and honestly we rarely had any time together as a family. The loss of my mom (lovingly known as "Grammy" to my kids) put so many things back into perspective for us as a family unit. We realized how precious this time on earth is, and we wanted to be together as a family, build memories, and laugh. We so desperately needed to laugh again.
As some of you also know... our family is pretty competitive. Most of our kids play competitive sports and enjoy winning... um, I mean... learning to be active and healthy in a competitive environment. :-) Since being home more with the kids we have realized that some of that energy spent at public school has been bottled up and needed an outlet here at home. Hence, "The Carroll Family Games" was derived. Luke (my husband for those that are new to our family) has creatively come up with odd games to keep the kids entertained. The latest being "Carroll Extreme Volleyball."
Our "Carroll Extreme Volleyball" matches have become a family favorite. It consists of 1-on-1 play (most of them usually challenging Dad cause what better conquer than Goliath himself... haha). The court set-up is usually with our handy softball practice net set up directly outside of our garage. This way whatever bouncy ball is used at the time can be bounced off the side of the house easily. The ball may only be hit twice, whether a double play with the hands or bounced off the house. However the ball may not touch the ground. The competitive genes run strong in our crew so you can image the energy that is put into these matches. Although some matches end in tears, most matches are filled with playful banter and lots of laughter.
"The Carroll Family Games" is quickly becoming a favorite, and I'm honestly thinking of making a family trophy for the weekly winners to pass around. Maybe in 20 years when the kids bring their families back home to visit, we can pull out the trophy and let the rivalry transcend into the next generation of Carrolls.
