Tired, Mom and Dad? Sometimes You've Gotta Say Yes to Messy Play (& Soggy Doggy!) Anyway by Kim Kusiciel

Last Wednesday was one of the longest days ever, but my kids wouldn't let me out of a promise. I was exhausted from the day, but had promised them they could open up a new game, thanks to the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG). It was the game Soggy Doggy by SpinMaster.

Taking one look at the box and I knew this game had a lot of steps before we could even play it and that it involved water. I was not interested. However, my kids totally surprised me and figured out the whole game, from unscrewing the battery compartment to scrounging the house for the tiny batteries it needed. They even put down a towel to keep the water mess away.

That's when I knew I was being a total stick in the mud. "No Fun Mom" had been hanging around all night and watching them work together to get the game set up was just what I needed to snap out of it. So, we played Soggy Doggy until our bellies hurt because we laughed too much. We all smiled and agreed it was a fun night, one of the best of the week.

You see, sometimes you just have to say YES to the messy game. Even when you are tired and you would rather be in bed. I should tell you that I did have to clean up the game – they didn't let me off the hook that easily!