Fun with little ones

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed

Why yes, those are underpants on their heads!

And not crash helmets... please don't call CPS.

So last night we were hanging out on the big bed, and Valerie caught sight of a Forbidden Toy on the top shelf of Terry's closet (it's just an annoying, noisy plastic ball with a bell inside it that the kids love cheap plastic junk, I don't know why we haven't just pitched it) and wanted it. So I tried to distract her with the first thing that caught my eye - a round little hotel soap in its wrapper.

WHO KNEW it would be such a hit? Both kids wanted it, crying ensued, and so I went to the bathroom to get some unused bath soap in the wrapper for them to play with. I just sat there laughing, watching them - not for the first time asking myself why we spend money on toys, at all, ever, because they were just so entertained by this ordinary household object. I opened one end of the wrapper on each of two bars, and they spent the longest time just taking the soap out and putting it back in. Valerie would say "Happy Birthday, Pooh!" every time. And then I suggested they pretend-wash their armpits and feet, so they did that (V took this very, very seriously) for a long time.

It was the last toy they said goodnight to last night and the first thing they wanted to do this morning when they woke up. The fun tapered off a bit after Gabriel took an experimental bite of his bar... Just another life lesson.

It wasn't his last mishap of the day, either. This morning I took them to the big park by the lake and he took a face-first spill down some low steps, scraping his nose and getting a big red and blue bump on his forehead, right at the hairline. I might have shrieked louder than he did when I saw him go down - just out of reach - but he recovered quickly.
Nights without Terry here have been very hard, but there are many bright spots during the days... and even in the nights. This morning at around 5:45 after I got them both to fall back asleep (which I wasn't counting on, so was very grateful) in bed with me, saw them drifting into deep breathing relaxation, it was just a very sweet moment. Especially since I got to go back to sleep too!