Dear Crabby,
Well, the excitement of Christmas is over and the ‘I’m bored’ phase has set in with my kids. Any suggestions on how to keep them entertained in the New Year?
Thanks, Louise Loco
Dear Louise Loco,
Let me guess: your kids were so over their Christmas gifts by the time Monday rolled around. Boy, do I remember that. And at the start of the New Year, it can be hard to come up with fresh ideas for fun that doesn’t include you finding a closet to hide in until Christmas break is over. I remember that, too. One day I came home from work and heard what sounded like whimpering. Since we didn’t have a dog, I followed the noise. Lo and behold, Mrs. Crabby was in the pantry rocking back-and-forth mumbling something about the kids and how they were driving her crazy. She seemed to be happiest in there, so I just closed the door and backed away slowly. Now, my suggestions may not be new, but I think if you approach them with the right attitude, you just might have some success. The 
quickest way to burn off some of that attitude, I mean energy, is to get your kids outside. I know we haven’t experienced another polar vortex (yet!), but it’s still winter and ski resorts are open. If you’re looking for a less-strenuous activity, give ice-skating a whirl. You can either go to an indoor rink for open skate or head down to Detroit and glide on the ice at Campus Martius. If your family is into sports, I hear there are a number of football games playing on New Year’s Day. Turn watching a game into ‘I Spy’ or bingo and handout prizes to the winners. Lastly, you could do a movie marathon. Pick something like Harry Potter or both ‘Willy Wonka’ movies to see if you like Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp better. And ya know, ‘Back to the Future II’ is supposed to take place in 2015. It might be fun to see how right (or how wrong) those Hollywood folks predicted the future. Just a thought. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll come up with something great. Just remember it’s a New Year… and school starts on Monday.
Happy New Year!
Dear Crabby
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