Boots and Boats

John and I recently had some time in a wet field - time to make boats and float them in puddles.

Well, to be perfectly honest, John was first drawn to the playground.  I really didn't feel like chasing him around, lifting him onto zip-lines and trying to squelch my height advantage in tetherball.  I personally prefer to spend my time making boats out of grass.  Fortunately, John is a pushover when wearing his "puddle boots."  

So, I lured him into the temporary pond.  Then I got to enjoy taking pictures and thinking about how dreamy he appeared as he made floating objects out of reeds.  Actually, to be perfectly honest again, he stomped on the "boats" the second that they hit the water.   

Anyway, I got my idyllic scenes.  And I do think John had fun with his boots, and his boats.

 

Favorites: Bat Toy

Sometimes the "it" toy baffles me.  Lately, John is particularly taken by black felt cut-outs that we call bats.  He has been playing with them since Halloween.  I don't draw conclusions about intelligence when contemplating toy preferences.  I actually enjoy flapping the wings around myself and playing mama bat.  It certainly captures an era.

Hats

Both of my boys are attached to hats.  Their particular hats, that is.

I guess it's not a bad place to show some fashion in the boy world.  And fashion aside (or amiss), they each take a stand:  Will to his unraveling pink plastic and John to his affiliation ("Daddy's Buddy").

Will's has nearly made it to museum status, and John's will soon be too small, but these hats will not soon be forgotten.

Cartwheels

There are some phases that, as a parent, you have to treasure.  By that, I mean soak in the entertainment, grab the chance for an internal laugh.

Currently, we are in the "Cartwheel Era."  Here is some evidence:

Entertainment I: Wheels

Hands down, the object that has gotten the most mileage in our house (other than the couch) is a thing with wheels.  Anything with wheels, really, but specifically the "wiggle-racer."  It is like a math game, all the possible combinations of drivers and settings:

• John driving
• June driving 
• Clara driving
• Will driving
• John driving June
• June driving John
• Will driving John
• John driving Will
• Clara driving June
• June driving Clara
• John driving Clara
• Clara driving John
• Will driving June
• June driving Will
• Will driving Clara
• Clara driving Will
• John driving me
• Me driving John
• Friends driving
• Driving friends

And each of the above in combination with:

• On the hill
• On the sidewalk
• Around the kitchen island
• Around the house
• On the patio out back
• And on and on and on!

It all adds up to endless hours of entertainment.  That and the chance to take turns and cuddle up and race and laugh and fight and fall off and get hurt and get better and cooperate and share and go fast and go slow and wait and lead and follow and shout and spin and and and....!

Thanks Gimmie for the great gift that keeps giving!

Angle of Repose

John, the bustling toddler that he is, can actually be a model of repose.  I love to see his compact little body sit and just be.

In the right moment - maybe watching his sister do gymnastics, looking at a book, or resting his head in his hand - he knows how to be in the moment and let his weight connect to the Earth.

It's like he's my Zen Master.  Hah!

P.S.  Here is my Zen Master after he smeared the back of his head with toothpaste.

Legs

Suddenly, Clara's legs have grown 10 inches.  I don't know how or when it happened.  She became long and lanky overnight.  Today was the proof.

First, all attempts to fit into the grocery cart with John failed.  No sitting in the driving seat up front.  No riding in the place where you put the groceries.  Even standing on the back was a challenge, especially for the drivers.

Later, as we took a neighborhood "walk," she turned into a spider on the tricycle as her knees almost reached her ears.

Finally, all the pants that her cousin passed down actually fit now.  They end at her ankles instead of bunching up like an elephant.

Clara is a runner.  She leaps like an antelope.   And despite my selfish resistance, I can't wait to watch her fly with each growing year.

Up on the Roof

At the end of the school year, we always try to add at least one new attraction in our back yard.  Some magnet to compete with all the other magnets that lure the kids away.   This year, we set the bar pretty high.  We bravely installed a rope net that leads to the roof.  (It's not actually the roof of our house, but a flat space sort of between roofs.)

The oldest three have mastered the climb, and after lots of sadness, the youngest has mastered knowing his place, i.e. on the ground.  But on the roof, the possibilities are endless.  There have been sweeping sessions, karate classes, flower making, snacks, reading, art projects, dancing, tea parties, bird watching, baby-sitting, drawing, or just plain getting some space.  (Not a bad idea...)

The installment comes with a big element of trust, but then so does everything else.

I think it was the right addition at the right time.  Next year, hopefully they'll come back down to earth.  I may have to lure them with animals.  Things that prefer the ground.