Pretend

One of Atticus's favorite games nowadays is pretending to be a dog. He even has a doggie name: Ruffer.

Ruffer likes to play fetch, be walked by Edith and, of course, ruff. "Doggies can't talk," Atticus tells me.

Our household is entering a kind of golden age of playing. No surprise, but playing pretend is tops. A plastic golf set yesterday was used not only for putting, but also for hockey and as crutches. Magnetic shapes are stuck together and formed into "cakes" and then put into the "oven" (the bottom shelf of an end table) to bake. And the toy kitchen in their bedroom is always a fan favorite.

Puzzles are also a hit. And trains. And stuffed animals. Coloring, crafting, whatever. And best of all, the play TOGETHER. I can routinely leave them be for an hour with minimal disagreements. We are firmly out of babyhood, and even toddlerhood has nearly passed us by. I have two kids who can happily play *without me.* Yay!