Puzzled

With kids being so dependent on electronic entertainment nowadays, taking them to the mountains to spend a week in a cabin runs the chance of throwing their bodies into full-blown withdrawal. One can imagine that this might put a damper on any attempt of the parents to try to have a relaxing getaway.

I was faced with just such a dilemma this month as we prepared to take our teens to the Adirondacks for our annual lake vacation with our family and friends. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that if they’re not actually speaking the words “I’m bored” every five minutes, then they’re trying to conquer their boredom by acting like the human equivalent of a hemorrhoid—too close for comfort and annoying as all get-out. I tried to imagine evenings as fluffy as billowy clouds filled with music, board games, and laughter. But ultimately, those dream clouds turned dark and plump and soon burst open with showers of arguments, flying cheese puffs, and spilled drinks. What’s a mom to do?

While in Wal-Mart, trying to locate the most portable, non-competitive game I could think of to take with us, I came across the puzzle section. There were dozens of puzzles ranging from a preschool Elmo design with 25 extra-large pieces, to a bamboozler with 1,500 tiny pieces that seemed to have no use other than to drive a person insane. I settled on a boxed set that included five puzzles ranging from 500 to 1,000 pieces. I guessed that we could probably attempt to finish the 750-piece mountain lake scene by the end of the week.

After I unpacked and settled into my cabin on Saturday, I placed the puzzle pieces on the coffee table and began looking for the corners and straight-edges. My kids looked bewildered. “A PUZZLE?!? What would make you bring a puzzle to the lake?” I explained to them that I thought it would be something interesting for the family to do together, as well as any other friends and family who stop in to visit during the week. After their initial protesting, they sat with me on the couch to look for the pieces that would create the “frame.” One of my friend’s kids came in and joined us as well. Before long, we had framed out the puzzle and filled in a few small sections.

During the week, it was not unusual to find my husband and the kids attempting to outdo each other with how many pieces they could find in a certain time period. Laughter was plentiful as they tried to fit pieces where they just wouldn’t go out of frustration and competition. Occasionally, they’d lose a vital piece and would launch a search and rescue mission underneath the couch and in its cushions. When it rained on the Fourth of July, we had a party in our cabin and on the covered deck. By the end of the night, most of the adults and half of the kids had come in to work on the puzzle, alternating laughter with deep concentration. Just about everyone commented at some point that they had forgotten how much fun a puzzle could be.

We realized on Friday that we had to get the puzzle finished before we left on Saturday…and the race was on! Although the kids and I would join him occasionally, my husband sat determined for several hours until he finally came to the last piece—which, of course, was missing! We began our usual routine of interrogating the couch, but to no avail. Disappointed, we had just about given up. On a whim, I decided to find the puzzle box and look inside. I dug through the four other puzzle bags, blindly swishing my fingers around to feel for the small piece of cardboard…and there it was!! I gave it to my husband, who happily placed it in its spot to complete our puzzle. We did it!!

After slapping some high fives and letting out some sighs of relief, my husband and I stood and looked at our finished product. We reflected on the challenge it posed during the week and how a puzzle really had the ability to bring family and friends together. We decided to create a puzzle table at home in order to continue our new-found approach to family bonding. Just then, my son walked in and asked the million-dollar question:

“…How are we getting it home?”

Lisa Hyman is your Fab40 Sorority Sister.  You can find her blog at: http://www.fabulously40.com/fabulously/againali