Their newest game is called “Going to Canada.” It involves packing up any number of tiny bags full of pretend food, dolls and other assorted detritus then laboriously moving said bags from the basement to the upstairs. Sometimes the stairs themselves act as a train or an airplane. Other times I believe they walk to Canada. I’ve not yet heard that they want to swim there, but perhaps in time that plan will occur to them.
It’s lovely to type away and hear their sweet voices discussing such grave matters as how many blocks they need for their trip or if socks should be worn on the feet or instead the hands. I am astounded when ten minutes pass without altercation, impressed when they agree on some arcane rule of packing, touched when they appear hand-in-hand to bid me good day as they trundle to the stairs/train.
This week my eldest returned to school after a nearly interminable spring break which overflowed with friend-visiting, book-reading, teevee-watching, outside-playing and slumber-partying; it was only on Sunday night at twenty minutes past her bedtime that she informed me of a huge project due early this week. She was sent immediately to her room upon coming home from school on Monday, where after a surprisingly small fit of pique over not being able to play outdoors she settled down to work on the task.
And then for an entire hour the house was bathed in peace. The little ones continued on to Canada without even a single disagreement. The eldest worked steadily, only breaking once to seek my advice on spelling. It was calm enough that the cats ventured out to sit on my lap. It was calm enough that I hesitated to move even to refill my glass of tea or start dinner for fear of breaking the spell.
I focus most on the times when everyone is shrieking, arguing, pushing, flinging, hitting. But in reality there are nearly as many moments when they get along just as well as the naive, pre-child me once believed all children got along all the time without any effort whatsoever. As time passes I will remember fewer of the negatives and more of the parts where calm children create projects and travel to Canada.
My friends and I used to go out in warm weather and play Spy. Of which the rules were equally arcane, I’m sure.
In the cold winters of central WI, my brother & and his friends and my friends & I would make our respective snow forts on either side of the driveway and then proceed to annihilate each other with our stockpiles of snow balls. (I love the uninhibited imagination of youth and mourn the loss of it as we age.)
And I’m sure my mother loved that we were outdoors most of the time, giving her this same kind of peace.
BTW, aag…I lurve that you added the post’s link at the bottom so I don’t have to scroll back up in my reader in order to come here and comment. Thanks for keeping my laziness in good order :)
Oh, the mythical land of Canada! Where lost socks are found, unicorns run free, and life is perfect…
:-)
Oooh, we had a two-hour span over break where my older son had fixed a “puzzle table” for my younger one, and then all went silent. I thought they’d committed double fratricide.
I don’t remember such frequent quarreling with my own sibs. Either my sons are more cantankerous than I (scary thought) or I was way more afraid of my father than they’ll ever be. Let’s hope for the latter.
That is so so lovely. I love to hear my daughter playing games like that. Although she does it alone with imaginary friends, being as she is an only child, the conversation, agreements and arguments are still in the bubble of playtalk that spouts from her.
Thanks for reminding me of it.
Don’t worry, I’ll be there to greet your kiddies with warm furs (aka fleece blankets?) from my dogsled (mazda?) when they finally arrive here on foot. ^_^
Oh thank you. Mebee let ‘em stay the night and then turn them back toward home?
:)
One of the teachers I had in high school once commented on how wonderful it was that my younger siblings occupied themselves with fabulously imaginative stories and made up props, instead of watching TV.
It really is one of the more wonderful things to be privy to. I <3 that your children do it too.
http://xkcd.com/180/
I love this post – I keeping coming back to read it over and over again. There’s something very sweet about the games children play. My own niece and nephew are always playing some madcap game involving Transformers, fairies and dinosaurs! I love listening to the things they come up with and wondering where on earth they got them from!