Monday, January 19, 2009

Playing

I love the sights and sounds and leftovers of children's play. But I don't always love to play with children. It's something I'm working on (with mixed success), playing more with my children. Mostly, playing with Henry. It's easy enough to play with Lily -- she's delighted with water-filled teething turtles and plastic keys. I can laze around on the floor, sputtering and smiling 'til she's ready for her next nap.

It's the wrestling, sword-fighting, pretending to be Zurg that are really...hard.
My most famous move is to fein injury in the early rounds and get out of the nonsense. (Poor sport? Indeed.)

But a couple days ago Henry asked if I wanted to play hospital and that sounded like something I could really get behind. So we did. Our living room became an infirmary and we nursed many afflicted stuffed animals. I just sat back and watched as paint turned into pill bottles, Bic pens became syringes, Crayola markers stood in for thermometers and Henry made little beds out of pillows and blankets for each patient. I asked Dr. Henry if I could bring my camera into the hospital for a few pictures, he said, "Sometimes you can and sometimes you can't. And this time? Hmmm...I think you can." So I did.


Dr. Henry gave me detailed reports on each patient:

"This is Bob. He was up all. night. long. throwing up. He's really darn sick!"


"This is Moses. He has a fever."


And (my personal favorite), "This is Freddy. His tummy is really hurting him. He is SO soaking sick."

Soaking sick? I love it.
It was all very amusing.
And soaking cute.

Speaking of cute...look who's sitting up.



Sometimes. For a little while. With occasional topples.
Also, soaking cute.

9 comments:

  1. So soaking cute ~ this post and your new blog! Glad you're here, hope you like it! (the Comments section is different, hmmm)

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  2. you're so soaking cute! hope your tummy is feeling better. love, love from me to you. mimi

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  3. i hear you about the playing - sometimes i just don't have the stamina for it lol. but "hospital" does look fun. perhaps we'll try it too. your little bug is also very cute sitting up - can't wait 'til mine can do that! ;)

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  4. What a fun looking hospital! I will have to try that one too, even though the ideas are never as exciting when they come from the mom's, right? I understand how it can be hard to get on the ground and interact and imagine and play. Some things that help (you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyways ;) ) Once the little one grows up she'll be able to play with him and follow his lead, that helps immeasurably. Also, when I am feeling exceptionally lazy I invite a friend over for him to play with. Then he isn't lonely and I am able to sit and read in the same room. Present but preoccupied. Not sure if that is a good thing, but it works. My mom was really good at interacting and playing with us, so I hope I get the hang of it sometime soon.

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  5. You are far better than I am at playing with your kids. Now that they're so happy to play together, I...just let them sit there on the bed together and play Barbies. I can read stories to them forever, but undressing and dressing tiny dolls drives me nuts!

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  6. Oh What a big girl! Sitting up. How exciting.

    I love that you are playing hospital...you can just be one of the patients right? Have Henry bring you sips of water?

    I hope you are feeling better!

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  7. I'm sorry you've been soaking sick Em. Henry is edible. :) I love the "up all. night. long. throwing up." I can just hear Henry's little voice.

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  8. Wow that was the cutest thing I've ever seen!
    I have a hard time playing with my boys too. Maybe I'll try the hospital idea. Nathan especially loves all his little stuffed animals and is very nurturing toward them.
    What kind of camera do you have? You really take excellent pictures.

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  9. Ha ha, so very soaking cute! You are a very good mom, too!

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