favorite thing friday: kanoodle

Last year, we drove up to Massachusetts to visit my family and while there, we stayed with my sister, Beth and her family.  One afternoon, as the children were rollicking about my nephew, Michael's awesome playroom, I happened to notice a little black box sitting on a shelf with the words, "Kanoodle" written on it.  I took it off the shelf and turning it about in my hands, innocently wondered, "What is this?" 



Oh, how little did I know that opening that black box would pull me in to a world of puzzle solving that would fiercely bend my kanoodle for the rest of the trip.  By the time we were ready to leave, three days later, and I still hadn't solved the puzzle, I closed the box - put it back on the shelf - bid it farewell and swore I'd never think of it again.  Things were going great until a week later when a big box arrived on our door step, and right there inside the big box, was the little black box with the words "Kanoodle."  In a show of generosity, my sister Beth had decided to send her Kanoodle to me.



There are several different puzzles, ranging from simple to complex, that you can solve with these bright colorful pieces. Apparently, it comes with a solution booklet, but Beth no longer had that. I could see that the solution booklet might be helpful since to this day, I haven't solved a single puzzle.  But that hasn't stopped me from trying.



Oh, but get this ... our children have solved the puzzle several times. And whenever they solve it, after they taunt, "IT'S SO EASY!" I'll take a picture so that in those moments when it feels like my world is spinning out of control, I can take out this little puzzle, bend my kanoodle trying to put it together - - finally resort to looking at the picture - - and contemplate from whom within our family our children inherited their GENIUS.





This year for Christmas, my sister Eileen and her husband Clark, and four of their five children will be coming to our home to celebrate with us. Santa may or may not be planning to bring a Kanoodle to a few of their stockings. And I may or may not be planning to photo copy an entire solution booklet and memorize it over the winter break.  I'm feeling like I need to impress the kids.