kid's games

T's new favorite thing to do if both D and I are home is to play "hide and seek". He also plays with anyone who comes over - so consider this a warning! The way he loves to play it is that we count and he hides. He usually tells us where he is going to hide but if we cut him off and say he isn't supposed to tell us he's easy to find. Just follow the giggling. If we don't find him fast enough, as we usually try to stretch out the finding bit (Is he in behind the door? Is he under the table?) we get "I'm in here, guys". Not hard for us and endlessly entertaining for T.

I got him a preschool version of the old snakes and ladders game a few weeks ago after we played a few rounds at the kid's stall at the market. This version is really chutes and ladders - I guess snakes are too scary. And there is a spinner instead of a dice. T cheats - he moves the spinner to whatever number he wants it to be but not with any game advantage in mind - just because he likes certain numbers better than others. He loves going down the slides even when he doesn't have to, in fact, he gets annoyed if I "get to go down a slide" and he hasn't yet. He loves to win but wants me to win as well. Not quite clear on the concept which is ok with me.

We also play a card matching game with Thomas the Tank Engine cards - in our house called the Thomas matching game. I've taken to carrying the cards around in my purse as we can play a smaller version of it while waiting for shots for instance. (This week we waited for over an hour for T's H1N1 shot). T is extraordinarily lucky at this game - D thinks he's marked the cards as I think he's only lost one game so far (to Uncle M after 3 wins and a tie).

Yesterday the puppets came out of the hiding bag (hide some of the toys so we aren't overwhelmed)

and the crayfish and the lobster spent some time finding and eating all the toy ducks and octopus they could find!

rainy saturday

The rain was pouring down when we were awakening by T's thundering feet down the hallway. It always makes me laugh when I hear the expression, the pitter-patter of tiny feet, because in our house it is more like the thundering rampage of a herd of elephants - all from one three plus boy! T announced that the rain was really loud and it was - sheets of it banging against the roof and the garden and the skylights. After a cuddle, we got up and ran around getting ready for swimming at 9AM. T had a great time jumping and splashing and diving. His poor instructor has to spend a lot of her time getting him to sit down on the steps or to join the circle but she said he listens to her so hopefully it is ok.

We ran errands after swimming and were home, with groceries unpacked by 11 AM!

I made a big pot of baked beans from the America's Test Kitchen recipe. Bacon, onion, molasses, mustard, salt, beans and water all simmered for hours in the oven, spreading sweet molasses smell all through the house. And now a big pot of delicious beans to eat.

I made vegetarian moussaka for supper, followed by peach galette. D liked the galette - half of it was gone this morning! (Either that or the cat has taken to eating pie!)

While the beans were cooking, D played trucks with T. I put together train tracks and T made a super long train to chug around them. And then we played hide and seek. T doesn't quite get the hiding part yet - he usually tells us where he is going to hide and gives himself away by giggling madly the whole time or yelling "are you coming to find me?"