I is for Imagination

This annual post might be my favorite to blog. 

I am paparazzi for a few days, alert to what my kids are playing with, and I love how aware of them it forces me to be.

I also love to see how they are maturing in their "play".

For about a month now, we have been playing with these train tracks from Valerie's downstairs toy factory.

I'm ready for them to go back down the stairs. They are like toy sand. Everywhere.

This is Jim's favorite toy. 

He loves to clean it, ride it, take it apart, upgrade it, look at it...

Both my boys line up the cars at least once a week.

The newest evolution in play is they make up games together. 

I love this. It reminds me of my childhood.

This barage of pictures was taken during Veteran's four day weekend.

The magic of No School! is alive and well in our home.

They stayed in their jams and just played whatever the heck they wanted to.

I finally forced them to get dressed around dinner time so we could go to the library and eat ice cream.

This match game was epic.

They sat here and played for TWO HOURS. 

It was so great. For so many reasons.

The biggest was that it balanced Evan's brain so well for the day.

It worked his social skills, fine motor skills, taking turns, following rules, and memory skills.

He was so well behaved and...balanced all day! 

Such a great discovery for me.

Every time they got a match, they would sing some jingle they made up.

Avery kept tally on a piece of paper of all the matches they made (hundreds!).

Andrew's favorite activity is putting things together,

taking them apart,

repeat.

She has always been a pattern girl.

She was sitting over here whispering some secret world.

They played Toy Story together for a while...

And we're back to lining up cars.

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