Playtime

The boys have turned a new corner in their play, and it has made my life so much easier!  I have taken off the gate to the basement, they can go outside to the backyard by themselves, and I have started leaving their bedroom door open.  I have begun to trust them in Z's room (as long as he is ok with it), so they can play in there.  They literally can go anywhere in the house (but not our room!). 

This gives them so much more freedom, and gets them out from under my feet.  C loves to play outside, so he sometimes will just go out on his own to play with the trucks.  L and N have become two peas in a pod, so they just run around talking to each other and it is SO STINKIN CUTE.  Z has been really good with them as well, and I often hear him say "C'mon, boys, let's go ______".  This is not to say that there are not fights, but it has just gotten easier in some ways.  This morning I even TOOK A SHOWER while they were all awake and not even watching a show...they were just playing in the basement.  And all hell did NOT break loose!

The boys favorite things to do are to play with Legos (either Z's small ones or the duplos), trucks/cars/dump trucks, Cars cars (Lightning, Mater, etc), and "cards".  We have some abc cards and some number cards made of hard construction paper type stuff (kind of indestructable) and they love to collect them and carry them around.  They take these toys all over and happily play.  It is pretty unbelievable.  I kind of love it.  But then I sometimes (SOMETIMES) feel kind of bad/guilty/lazy because I feel like I should be doing more with them...but they just don't need me the same way they used to.  They don't need constant supervision so they don't kill themselves/each other.  They don't need me all the time to play "with" them since they have learned to play on their own.  Very strange.  Clearly, they still need me...but differently. 

Z made them all "Indian" headbands while they put beads on pipecleaners.  (Doesn't this make me look like a good mom, crafting with my kids?)

These next few were during potty training boot camp, so they are in just undies. 

At first glance I thought L was happily smiling at me in this picture...but he was not.  That is a scream because N must have stolen his Lego.  See, I still have to do some referreeing. 

Z has been obsessed with Ninjagos.  Boys.  Sigh.  I have no clue what they really are, or who they are, or what they do, but he has them.  Guess who else likes them, if they can get close enough to them? 

 Z was playing computer games and the little boys were all enthralled.  Again, during potty training.  I didn't care WHAT they did as long as they weren't peeing on the floor. 

 Z has learned in school that there are several ways to read.  I can only think of 2 right now (but I think there are 3?) :  reading the words and reading the pictures.  He has taken to reading the pictures, and he likes to read to the boys.  I do not object to that at all! 

The boys love to play in their peapods now that I have opened up their room.  Here N is grinning out of his.  I have gone in their room to find 2 or even all 3 of them (and sometimes even Z!) in the one bed.  They pull trucks and toys in, and kick out their blankets.  The peapods have been an AMAZING purchase, but I am fairly certain that they will not hold up to my kids well enough to re-sell!