I have found that as I grow older I require more silliness to distract me from the drudgery of being a "grown-up". We have some games that we play on a regular basis in our family that aptly make up for the tediousness of pretending to be responsible citizens.
Funny Face Time - It is what it says. We each take turns making silly faces to make everyone else laugh. When it's just me and Bryan it gets interesting!
Funny Noises - We each take turns making funny noises. This is Grace's favorite, even though she makes the same noise over and over and OVER again. :-)
Funny Words - We make up our own words. Some have made it to the wall of fame, such as shmergendorfmerfer and ploppledanglemuff.
Monster Time/Zombie Time - Bryan and I are monsters or zombies, and the kids have to escape our evil grip. This usually happens right before bed. Andrew usually decides to save the day by "crashing the bad guys". He is just the right height to hit Bryan in a sensitive spot......
Make Sam Mad - Our dog, Sam, is a great source of entertainment for all of us. He chews on his leg and chases his tail for what seems like an eternity when he is bored. He also barks and growls at the weirdest inanimate objects (paintings, booster seats, new plants, holes in the ground, a shoe.....). So we will get as bored as he does every once in a while and do goofy harmless things to him to make him go a little crazy for us. Andrew LOVES this, because he gets to steal Sam's bone from him and run around the house screaming and laughing while Sam follows behind.
Board Games - This is mainly for me and the kids, Bryan usually does not get involved. We play Mystery Date, Candy Land, Pretty Pretty Princess, and Ants in the Pants. Pretty Pretty Princess becomes a source of amusement when Grace and Andrew decide to put the jewelry in silly places (their noses, eyelids, eyebrows, chins, lips, belly buttons) and then try to chase me down to put the jewelry on me.
Swapping Talents - This is for me and Bryan but the kids sometimes play it on their own, and it gets pretty hilarious. The most recent one for me and Bryan (months ago, sadly) was when I showed Bryan some ballet moves and he showed me some kickboxing moves. We had to try our best to repeat what we had been shown, and the following display was clumsy and laugh-inducing.
Monster Pictures - This is Grace's territory, but Andrew tries it and they ocassionaly talk me into doing it. Grace will randomly draw pictures of the family members on post-its and put them on our bedroom doors, but the pictures are monster representations of each of us. Sharp teeth, crazy hair, funky bodies, and forked tongues. Andrew's end up looking like blobs with faces and stick legs/arms, it's great!
Ministry of Silly Walks Interview - We each do our best silly walk to see who will win. Bryan usually wins, his goofy walks are hard to beat!
Airing of Grievances - Thanks to Seinfeld's Festivus in "The Strike" episode, we take time once in a blue moon to jokingly poke at each other's quirks as a reminder that our weirdness makes us individuals that are loved for everything we are. This usually happens at the meal table or in the car, and it could be just me and Bryan, the kids could be included, or it could happen at a family gathering. The Airing of Grievances has to be light-heartedly approached and no intentionally hurtful revelations or accusations are allowed. It usually includes my absurdly musical morning gas, Bryan's forgetfulness of the English language, Grace's dramatic fits, and Andrew's weird made-up songs. When other close family members are around, socks are mentioned, as well as the names Bitter Betty and Debbie Downer, and more jokes about gas powering an entire state or country (the women in my family have musical bums).
Car Riding Song Time - This came in very handy on our road trip to Ohio. We pick a tune and sing the song using only words we read on road signs and other cars. While driving through Kentucky I started the song to the tune of Jingle Bells, and the only sign for miles was "Speed Limit", so I started it and had nothing else to go on. Bryan and the kids still make fun of it by randomly singing "SPEED LIMIT..." with long periods of silence. Thanks.
I am thrilled to have a spouse who happily goes along with all of this, and kids who still think we, as parents, are witty enough for us and our games to be considered cool.
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