Blame it on the weather. Blame it on teenagers. We've been playing a lot in the kitchen lately. I remember when my kids were happy to hop on their sleds and make snowmen and snow angels and come in for hot cocoa and marshmallows. I remember when they were easily entertained by Candy Land, Barbies, Legos, Play Doh. When they built forts indoors and played with their Thomas the Tank Engine trains and dolls and bears. I remember when they had their tea parties, and their general store... and Dora the Explorer or Bob The Builder or Little Einsteins would be on in the background. The children would glance over but really they were too busy playing. And then the children grew up and, believe it or not, but entertaining them became harder. They retreat to their rooms and chat and text with their friends. They lose themselves in their electronic devices, barely lifting their heads but to eat or grab a drink. I impose a few non-electronic hours where the kids must figure out how to entertain themselves. "Mo-ommmm, I'm SO bored. There's nothing to do," they whine despite closets filled with games and books and art supplies. And just as I did when they were 3 and 4 and 6 I need to step in and supervise. I need take their hands and show them that there is indeed life without their devices. We do play a lot of board games. We love Monopoly, Sorry, Scrabble and Life. We watch movies together and play word games. But lately, and mostly, we seem to cook a lot together. For more read here.