Amazing Play Days

Somehow it seems we've been able to keep ourselves 

entertained both indoors and out, regardless of winter

weather. Here are some samples from Jan. and Feb.

Evan designs an indoor tent.  He now has double the
building materials he had before Christmas.

Well, it's all framed up. Ready for furnishings.

An indoor man cave, with skylight for the TV.

Evan is willing to share his man cave.  Ryan is matching
Star Wars cards very adeptly.

Claire and Grandma toil away creating rubbings from kits
Jennifer and Amanda once played with. We have everything from
Barbie to monsters.

A good afternoon's work.

Some of Claire's favorites.

Ryan is quite a design man, too.  You notice, he gravitates toward
most things big bro and sis like. But he's his own man.

Evan and Ryan turn our dormant garden space into a fort.
They use a tarp, two sleeping bags, a quilt, and four blankets
to create impenetrable walls. Or force fields. 

Evan got Grandma into lawn bowling.

He did let her go first. 

Evan shows us how it's done.

Claire is creating a magnetic zoo of animals with a kit I got at . . .
you guessed it -- the Coalition.

Animals with magnetic personalities.
Like Claire.

Ryan and Evan love to wage battle with spinning tops.
They can do some mind-boggling attacks.

I didn't really believe Evan and Ryan could use every piece in
building their balancing tower.  Here's the next-to-last piece.

Ryan gets to add the last piece.  No pressure.

Amazing success!

This is a castle craft kit with working catapult that we gave Claire
for Christmas. She had started painting it the very next day and
her finished product shows great diligence and attention to detail.

The "girls" love to create outfits with our magnetic figures.

Evan and Ryan set the stage for an epic confrontation between
good and evil.  

Naturally, they put me in charge of the evil characters and
proceeded to wipe me out. I mean crushed!

I had wondered if it was time to get rid of the old Fisher-Price
playhouses and people.  No NO NO! That's our VILLAGE!

As long as they like it, it will be here.

Evan had been playing basketball with Grandpa non-stop, but
paused to check out the village.

Not only is Evan more knowledgeable about basketball teams
and players than any second grader I know, his skills are far
advanced for that age.  And I know, because I remember barely
knowing what dribbling was when I was 8.

Here's Evan a.k.a. Zion.

I'll close with this picture of Ryan doing what all

red-blooded American boys always try to do.

Why, dig to China, of course!

Stay tuned for more action!