spies

Once again I had to chuckle as I watched and listened to my boys play this evening. Currently their favorite thing to play is "spy". They will dress themselves up and announce that when they walk into the room I am to pretend that I do not know them. This evening these were the get-ups:

Now the other day J decided that he really needed to invent something. We've watched a couple of PBS programs on inventing ("Everyday Edisons") and Ruff Ruffman had a segment on spying and gadgets accompanying such activity. So he came to me with his hand-me-down MP3 player and his sunglasses and informed me that he was going to make a spy gadget. "Where is the tape?" I told him and went about getting ready for church. The next thing I know I turn around and there he is with this:

Later I asked A if he had helped J construct his spy camera. He said he didn't help at all...J had in fact put the whole thing together. I love it! I love to watch their minds at work, creating, analyzing and problem solving. I never knew I'd get such a kick out of watching this process happen in my children.

On a side note. This evening the spies were putting together their "hideaway" which was to be constructed with a bed sheet and various chairs..i.e. tent-fort. Well, it was not going smoothly. Said sheet would not stay put and slinked itself continuously off slippery chairs at the slightest touch. Iwas involved in my own project when I suddenly heard my 5 year exclaim in disgust (with very familiar inflection), "D**n it!" Well I immediately felt the pain of conviction deep within my being and said quietly, "B, I know that you have heard mommy use that word before, however, it is not a good word to use." Without missing a beat he said, "I'm sorry mommy, I thought it was a good word. I won't use it again."

What can I say...kids will always keep you humble.