Leo and I spent our time Wednesday with Martha and Lucia. It was too cold here to try to heat up the game room and since we're in the process of re-painting the dining room, well, it was a mess in there and really not somewhere Leo and I wanted to play.
On the way to Martha's, Leo instructed me on how to play Chess. It turns out that this is his new favorite game (I'm so impressed!), a game he, Frank, Annie and Luca play often.
"One day, when you come to get me for your house, maybe you can stay and play Chess with Mom and me! I know Mom would love to play with you and I'll probably beat you because I know how to play really well now. Ha! One time Luca was distracted (Leo's word) and I beat his butt! The pieces are White and Black and White always goes first ~ I like to go first ~ but I'll let you be White if you want to."
I exclaimed to Leo how thrilled I was that he was learning to play Chess; told him that if he really kept at it, it would be a game he'd enjoy all of his life. I also suggested he might want to learn how to play Checkers.
"Checkers is easier than Chess but it makes you think the same way you have to think when you play Chess. You have to plan ahead to win."
Leo was taken with this idea and I told him I'd see about getting the family a nice Checkers game, which made him very happy!
And then, out of the blue, Leo talked about Luca.
"Luca gets distracted sometimes, you know I just told you that about Chess, but he's very focused (Leo's word, again) at CCD. "I have to tell you, Ma, really focused."
I got such a kick out of that.
Oh, and "I have to tell you"? It's Leo's new favorite phrase.
Arriving at Martha's I was introduced, again, to how quiet and reserved Leo can be. Martha had Lucia on the changing table in her room so that we could hear them over the monitor but couldn't see them. I walked to the back of the house to greet them, not realizing that Leo, who had no idea what my intention was, just planted himself in the play area, not really sure what his next move should be. He stood there quiet and still, hands clasped in front of him, eyes wandering over all the toys.
Martha hadn't heard us come in and did a "Lucia! Look, Ma's here!" as soon as she saw me enter the room. As Martha went on to tell me that Lucia had just woken from an early nap, Leo still stood quietly in the other room with that hesitant look on his face that is so Leo.
Finally we realized I had "left Leo behind" and Martha yelled, "Leo! Leo! Come in here!"
And that's all it took.
Leo was "back" and Lucia all but jumped off the changing table when she saw him; she couldn't get to him soon enough.
What a duo there 2 are. Always they have loved each other and had so much fun together.
Leo's first stop? The trampoline! Lucia hasn't mastered (and is too lightweight) the trampoline and so was fascinated watching Leo jump and do high leg splits. It didn't take long for her to get on with Leo, thoroughly enjoying the ride :)
After much trampoline jumping, Lucia did her Lucia thing: running around the room showing off her toys and skills ~ there she is climbing on her excersizer. In the meantime, Leo discovered the Potato Head game and Lucia soon joined in.
Next move? Martha and I were "hungry" so Leo us some made cookies, charging Martha $30 for 1 cookie! |
"My, that's a really expensive cookie you just gave me", Martha commented as she paid him his $30. Hearing that, Leo pulled $20 from his pocket and answered, "Here's your change. It was really on $10!"
 Real lunchtime was upon us and we headed for the dining room, where it was time for us to serve the kiddies their lunch. Shortly after that, Maureen arrived. And with Maureen there, the volume rose! Is it any wonder these kids love Maureen the way they do? She ran with them and tossed them in the air and on the couch and tickled them and pretty much exhausted them! Finally a little bit of down time and both Lucia and Leo settled on the couch to watch a show while Maureen, Martha and I chatted. |
Martha has quite a collection of dress-up outfits, wisely purchased after Halloween for a fraction of the price, so that Lucia can enjoy as she gets older.
We all went upstairs and there Leo became Spiderman and Lucia became a Ballerina in a Purple Tu-Tu, complete with headband and something else purple she carried in her hand.
Martha has a floor mirror in the hall upstairs. Lucia was hysterical in her costume and the expression on her face when she saw herself in the mirror? Well, next week we have to repeat the "day" and get the camera out to capture that expression.
As for Leo? Once Martha placed Spiderman's "face"(fabric, not plastic) in the proper position (slits for eyes and you CAN see out of them), Leo was in the groove.
How much fun were we having? So much so that time got away from us.
It was time to gather Leo and his gear for his ride to school...and still we played, until I wondered if we would make it in time.
We did. Just barely. And on the ride to school, Leo said to me,
"I wish we could have stayed longer at Martha's house. That was really fun! That spiderman costume is SOOO cool how the eyes fit in the holes."
"Well, Leo," I answered, "I think we can play with Lucia again next week if you'd like to. I think Martha would really like that. In fact, I think Mom should rent you out at least 1x a week to play with Lucia ~ you guys have so much fun together. What do you think?"
To which he gave me the broadest grin.
1 comment:
Nice hair Leo.
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