Nap time, water, and cardboard boxes

There is this lovely book we checked out from the library called Not A Box, about a bunny who imagines his cardboard box is all sorts of things.  And the speaker keeps addressing the bunny, asking why he's sitting in the box or standing on the box, etc.  And the bunny just keeps responding that it's "NOT a box!"  In the end, the speaker asks, "well then... what is it?"  And the bunny replies, "It's my not-a-box." 



The kids were delighted to discover we had a not-a-box in the house the other day.  I guess our Amazon boxes typically go straight out to the garage to be recycled.  But this particular box managed to linger in the living room and quickly became the hip hang out spot.  I remember playing in them quite a bit when I was a kid, but it seems like today's society doesn't really encourage cardboard box playing as much as it encourages structured, directed activities.  So it's nice to have this not-a-box in the living room for a few days.  Here's hoping the rumors I've heard regarding cockroach eggs residing in cardboard is completely false. 



Oliver is a water fanatic.  He's sort of "meh" on milk these days.  But he adores water.  I remember thinking Elliot drank so much water I was concerned he might be diabetic.  I have sense accepted that as an irrational fear and am therefore much calmer about Oliver's love for water.



A little bottle of water in the crib at nap time has saved us many times from the desperate screams that otherwise begin that morning and afternoon ritual. 



Speaking of nap time, here is what Lucy's looks like these days.  She plays quietly in our bed (with all of her animals and medical tools) for what seems like 10 minutes (but is usually more like 20-30) and then repeatedly asks, "What can I do now?" until I finally tell her that her quiet time is over. 

Our most recent discovery is ABCmouse.com, a preschool learning-based app on the iPad that incentivizes little ones to complete activities in order to win tickets in order to purchase things like furniture for their avatar's room, clothes for their avatar, tubing for their pet hamsters, or aquarium accessories for their fish.  The kids love it, and we are entering the trenches of full-on phonics/reading, so the discovery couldn't have come at a better time.  I will take the help.