Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Simple Summer Pleasures...


My goodness! One and a half weeks since my last post. That certainly was an unintentional blogging break. Brought on by the little and big things of life, like chronic health issues with my son (the big), a possible move for our family (also qualifies as big), and my preoccupation with watching tv reruns from my youth (the little). Throw in the typical fatigue (mental and physical) and spending time with my husband in the evenings (my usual blogging time), and there you have it: a while since I've visited this space. But, here I am, so let's get on with it, shall we?

My kids love water. Playing in a sink full of bubbles has long been a favorite for my daughter. Recently, we introduced Rascal to the wonder of bubbles, warm water, and lots of kitchen gadgets for water toys. He's a convert. He totally loved it.

And the set-up? Genius on my part, I must say. I filled up one half of the sink with water and bubbles. I set Roo up on the counter nearest the water. Then I put a bath towel in the other half of the sink, and nestled Rascal right in there. Then, and this is the best part, I settled myself on top of an adjacent counter, book in hand. I strategically stretched my legs across to Rascal's side of the sink, so as to act as a barrier and keep him contained (as you certainly can't trust a newly-turned 1 year old to stay seated at all times). I was within arms-reach the entire time if need be, but got to dive into a good book while the children played. After all, I think children play best when adults aren't hovering over them, directing their activities. I also got to hang back and do a little eavesdropping, which is always fun. Roo's constant cheerful chatter is a hoot. Add to that Rascal's total conversational input (it's not easy keeping up his end of the conversation with his robust vocabulary of 4 words: "uh-oh," "sock," "hi," and "up") and you have yourself some real entertainment possibilities. I should have jotted down some of the back-and-forth dialogue, as there were a few gems in there. :)


Roo discovered how to make a volcano using a large plastic funnel. Just submerge into bubbly water and watch the flow of "lava" out the spout. They did this about 100 times, and it never got old. Don't you just love that about kids? It certainly makes my job easier (not to mention, it gave me time to make a good dent in my book).

It's been so hot and humid that a good drenching from water play was just what the doctor ordered. Plus, now one half of my sink is really, really clean. Everybody wins. :)

2 comments:

  1. Very clever idea! Two questions though. . . watcha readin'? And, did you make those jammies? I have a feeling you did, they look so cozy, I need to learn to sow.
    J

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  2. Well, as you know, I have a propensity for reading self-help/non-fiction books. This one is called Heaven on Earth (link is in my sidebar). It's a "parenting" books of sorts, but it's uplifting and positive (does that count as recreational reading?).

    Yep, you guessed it. My pants are homemade sheet pants. They are made from super soft sheets that were probably on some dear granny's bed many years ago. They've been washed a zillion times and sadly, are faded and thread-bare on the knees. Guess I will have to sew new (old) ones!

    My offer to teach you to sew has no expiration date, just so you know. :)

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