Inventive Noah

Some of my best memories of growing up were not from toys, but instead from the games that my sisters and I made up. I remember playing "grocery store" with my siblings, using old cereal boxes and any other food items we could scrounge up. We would take turns being customer and cashier and exchange fake money (round leaves from our eucalyptus tree) and "bag" the groceries. Being a cashier seemed so glamorous back then. It was so fun, using our imaginations and pretending. I sometimes think the toys we have nowadays leave little room for imagination and hope I am not stifling my children.

However, Noah has proved to be the inventive type- and even though he has a whole closetful of toys- more toys than any kid should ever have, he still gets bored by them and wants to make up games of his own. Especially now that it has been colder and Mom doesn't want to take him outside to play, his games have been of the active type.

Just a week ago, I put on a cd with pop music and that really got his adrenalin going. Both of my kids are really into music and it just energizes them. He made up a game of climbing up the back of the banister, and then jumping onto a pile of couch cushions. He did this over. And over. And over again. He would yell "I infinity and thee on." It was quite funny until Brad ruined it by telling him it was "To infinity and beyond!" (From Toy Story) It was actually quite fun to watch him perch at the edge of the stairs, and fly through the air, flopping onto the pillows! I just had to try it and yep it was fun!

He also made up another game that I am somewhat hesitant to try, even though it looks ridiculously fun. He sits toward the back of my body pillow, pulls the front up and over his legs, making a handle for steering and rides it like a sled, down our steep stairs. If you have ever been to our place, you would know that our stairs are right in front of the door. So, it reminded me of Kevin in Home Alone, when he sledded down the stairs and out the door! (I thought that movie was so cool back in the day) I will have to try it someday and let you know how it turns out!

Then tonight, he informed me that he felt like exercising and he wanted some hard music to work out to. Well, I think he meant angry rock, and obviously I am so not into that. So I put on the closest thing I've got- The Cranberries. Noah loved it and was using my two pound weights, doing crunches and pushups. He was working hard! It was so funny! Especially because I haven't worked out regularly for awhile. I guess with his memories of when I used to always take him with me to work out and with his PE class, he was ready to roll. What a blessing he is in my life. My joy is full watching these two little ones grow up and discover the world.