Go!

 We are finding more and more reasons to love having a smart phone. My kids have been wanting to play Pokemon Go for months. When it came out everyone was talking about it and my kids had to only listen and had nothing to contribute. They had no idea why it was so popular.  The craze had died down and I hadn't heard anything about it for a long time so I thought the fad was already past.

Henry came home from scouts last week saying one of the other boys had brought his phone with him and was showing how many Pokemon he had caught.  As he was talking about this game, this kid and how the other scouts were so excited about the game, I picked up my phone and downloaded the app.  He was surprised when I said "put your shoes on! Lets go catch some Pokemon".  So we went out that very afternoon and caught Pokemon.

We have been out everyday since taking walks around the neighborhood collecting balls at the stops and catching lots of Pokemon. We rack up quite a few miles just strolling for an hour or two each day. With no school at the moment, the kids really want to play video games or watch movies all the time. This at least is a game but we are outside and getting a little exercise.

 Plus since most of the stops are at parks and such we have been spending lots of time playing at the different parks in our area.

 We walk a whole lot farther than we ever used to. I get a lot less complaining about how far we have gone but it is traded for arguing about who gets to hold the phone.

 Every once in awhile, usually when we have no balls left so we can't catch anymore Pokemon until we hit another stop, I get my phone and if we encounter a Pokemon then I get to snap a picture of the kids with it.  Notice Molly has earphones.  Since I got a new phone she got my old ipod. She loves taking walks and listening to music as she goes.