Kids in boxes

Jay and Rose play so well with each other [when Jay isn’t tackling or stealing toys]. I have been ambushing them with my camera all month because I think they are pretty cute when they play together. Sometimes I get to join in on the fun too. This is a jumble of home-y pictures from the last few weeks.

They have made this box-train every day for a week. They load it up with blankets and “kids” (stuffed animals), and drive to different imaginary places.

This is Jay’s landspeeder (like Luke Skywalker’s): the couch full softies. Jay loves being surrounded by soft things. He works very hard to transport his stash of kids and blankets to various locations throughout the house. It’s so funny to hear him panting and grunting to heave-ho a bundle of animals around.

Art project! I gave them some kid scissors and paper scraps and a glue stick one day.

 

That box.

Poor little sister gets stuck with her big brother’s old coat this winter. At least it has yellow inside! Kids in poofy coats are so squeezably cute.

One day during Rose’s nap, Jay and I sat at the kitchen table while I drew him a new car-town on a big piece of felt. It took 2 hours! That paper town I drew for him a few months ago finally got ripped one too many times. But it’s ok, because I like doodling. (did you notice the track?)

Two hours of Sharpie-fumes gave me a headache! Jay and Rose crawled all over the felt car-town playing with it before it was all the way dry, and Rose’s knees got stained.

Jay and Rose love “patella” sandwiches for lunch (“peanutella,” or peanut butter Nutella sandwiches). It looks like I just fed Rose pure chocolate for lunch. I only spread a very thin layer of Nutella, I promise! Rose just goes for her favorite part first, so it gets smeared onto her cheeks.

It was SUPER windy one evening so we made plastic bag kites: yarn tied to the handles of a shopping bag. I made one of these when I was in elementary school. They make running even more fun!

It was the end of a long day so Rose was feeling too tired and whimpery to keep up with speedster Jay. She ended up just handing her kite off to me and watching Jay run back and forth across the field.

Have I mentioned how convenient it is to live right behind the high school soccer field? We just go out our back gate and poof, we have a giant field to run around in!

Last Sunday night, Jay, Rose, and I went out to the Gibbons homestead with Steph and Jasen (it’s Jasen’s family’s farm). All of the kids had matching skeleton jammies from their Aunt Steph. This is a great bunch of cousins-in-law.

Don’t tell my Dad (ha), but Rose had her first 4-wheeler ride with Uncle Jasen while we were out there. Jay and Rose love riding around on the 4 wheeler! I wish I had gotten a picture (as if this post needs any more) of the way Rose  reached her arms waaaay out wide to grip the handle bars on the 4 wheeler. She looked so macho.

This morning while waiting to go on a walk, Jay got in some exercise of his own. Rose loved it.

Here’s a video of them on their “walk.” Jay cracks me up with the things he says!

Speaking of exercise, I went on my first run in 3 months yesterday! It burned. I felt like I was breathing through a straw. My stamina is down. My muscles are miniscule. But I ran 2.5 miles! Jogged may be the better word, but I didn’t stop. It wasn’t exactly enjoyable, but I still felt that relaxed satisfaction that only running brings. Look out, turkey trot! I’m going to destroy you!

     

Conclusion: kids are FUN. I have been doing lots of cleaning projects around the house, and Jay and Rose always want to help and be a part of the action. It’s so easy to get exasperated with them underfoot while I’m trying to scrub out a shower or vacuum the stairs. Everything is so interesting and fun and new to them. They remind me not to get caught up in my mountain of 3 month old housework and just take time to PLAY every day.