Bingo, part 2

Last week was a little chaotic for me. I said good-bye to College Girl Sunday night when I went to bed. And after I went to work on Monday, she left to go back to College Town. 

But, as crazy as it might seem, I had bought tickets for "Chicago" and it was on Saturday. So I trucked up to College Town to see College Girl and Chicago - which was a wonderful experience {once I got past the dancers wearing not a lot! I'm so Midwestern!!} So my time without seeing College Girl was basically four days. Not too bad :) 

And while I was visiting her, trying to be all quiet in the motel room while she slept, I was playing this:

You might even say, addictively playing this Bingo game. {And yes, they have Christmas hats on because it's a Christmas game.} 

And I tried to write about it, but I don't think I did a very good job {I really had a lot going on - being quiet, seeing College Girl, watching Chicago!}

I play this game - and I get rewards. But the rewards aren't anything I can touch (really) or use {for anything but more Bingo playing} or eat or anything like that. It's just another ticket to play another game, or a jewel to get more rewards, or a little icon that I'm supposed to collect so I can get more rewards. And I get rewarded for winning, and I get rewarded for just playing. Really, it's all rather silly. But I love playing it!

And that's what I was trying to say in my last blog post. Especially for math, I'd like to figure out a way to "reward" my kids for just playing - just participating. Oh, it'd be a nightmare, because I'm not a big gaming corporation that can put together all these rewards. 

But I think about my little friends that are trying so hard, but double digit subtraction just doesn't make sense. And they look at me with their big puppy eyes as I try to ask questions to get them to figure out where to get some more ones, or what to do once you get those ones. 

As I was typing this, I just started thinking I'm not doing any better job of explaining. But then, I had a little light-bulb moment. I started thinking that to me, the rewards (which are really nonexistent) would just be a way of recognizing that, yes, my little friend you are working hard, and yes, little friend, I know it's hard and frustrating, but just keep on trying. I know you will get it.