Play Time!!

On Saturday, Brandon took apart the fan and light fixture in our bedroom to see if he couldn't fix the fan.  As it turns out, he couldn't, because the motor in the fan was completely blown, so I got this box out to contain all the parts and pieces until we figured out what to do about it.  Obviously, though, Elora believed that I got the box out for her.

 

 

What is it about boxes and baskets that make them so irresistible to kids and cats?  Han and Elora both will get into any container left on the floor, if there is even the remotest possibility that they'll fit in it.  (The laundry basket is a favorite.)  I remember being equally fascinated by them when I was a kid.  So much fun to be had. 

Anyway, this is what happened once we got the fan in the box, and shut away in the guest room:

 

 

I love to watch them playing together like this.  He tickles her, and throws her, and swings her, and flips her, and she just laughs and laughs and laughs.  You know, a child's great big belly laugh, the kind that is so absolutely contagious that you'd have to be dead not to laugh too.  And then to see the delight on his face in being able to make her laugh like that, I just love it.

Monday we took her to the park.  It isn't all that far from the house; it's too far to walk, but it's only about a 10 minute drive.  She was rather timid at first, and just walked around the perimeter of the playground with her fingers wrapped around Brandon's.

But then she saw other little people like her.  She's so social!  She said "Hello!" and "Bye!" to everyone she saw, and chatted with anyone who stayed still.

Brandon started out by putting her at the top of the small slide, and she did that a few times.  Then she did some exploring and discovered the big twisty slide.

Then she did a bit more exploring and realized that she could climb up to the top all by herself.  After that she wasn't interested in doing anything else, and she definitely wasn't interested in any help in doing it.  Brandon shadowed her as she climbed, and I sat on the side near the bottom to keep an eye on her as she ran back around.  The best part??  I got to see this every time she came down:

The more she did it, the more static-y her hair got, and I just kept cracking up.  It was great until time to go home.  We were only able to stay about 45 minutes, and she was no where near ready to leave.  Next time, we will make sure to go at a time when we have more time to play.  I'm hoping for more warm weather soon.  It was 73° on Monday; yesterday and today, it only got up to about 40°.  It isn't nearly as fun to go out when you have to bundle up to do it.  More Spring please!!!