Pet Shop.

Mems is my soft-footed sneaky one. (And she knows it.) This past week I pulled her off the table right before she sent a pile of paper flying. (It was smooth.) Until I turned around to push in the bench she'd used to climb the table, and turned back around to find her on the step stool playing in water at the sink. I hopped her off the stool and wiped up the water. But when I went to put the stool away, I found her in the pantry climbing for the raisin bran. (She loves rooting around for raisins.) 

oh my goodness

Some days it's like that all morning...

But then noon comes, and Mae breezes through our door and everything is good again. Because Mae comes up with the very best games. Yesterday it was Pet Shop. They spent a good half an hour gathering all the items they needed. Laundry baskets. Blankets. Pillows. Tins. Baby pots and pans. And then they sorted their animals into "cages" with the appropriate foods. I could hear them organizing it all from downstairs. 

And then they invited me up to see their hard work and pet some of the animals. Pandas. Puppies. A rabbit... The yellow basket held the hedgehog. And the tea set box held the two mice, one squirrel and a chipmunk. Mem's puppy was sleeping in a covered laundry basket and Mae's otter was in a clear bin with plenty of padding. (She loves that otter - sometimes fiercely.)

If only I could bottle it up! Their imaginations are so magic! And essential! Along with real, honest to goodness play. I love these afternoons - and so grateful my pirates have each other.