Games We Play
Now that E's getting a bit older, he can play games with us. It's the cutest thing ever. Games that I would consider boring, monotonous, obnoxious, are suddenly fun when watching E experience them and light up at how much fun he's having. There's not much I won't do for this smush... and that includes playing the following games (over and over again).
Peek a Boo
It took a long time for E to learn how to pull a blanket off his face/head. Way past the time he was supposed to have mastered it. He used to flail his arms around and scream until someone would pull it off for him. Now though, he's an expert. Which means he loves a game of peek-a-boo where I'll either throw a blanket over his face and ask "Where's E?" or over my own head and ask him "Where's Mama?" until he pulls it off, giggling.
Hide and Seek
Similarly, he loves our variation of this game too. He often crawls out of his room when we're getting dressed or trying to read books. He'll go into the guest room next door, where the kitty is often hiding. However, I've learned a handy trick that keeps me from having to chase after him. I just call out "Oh no! Where did E go? Where is my E??" and he'll start giggling and crawl back into sight, where I'll clap and say "Oh! I found you! Yay!" Same thing goes for around the couch or a corner of a room. He'll always come running back, laughing.
Hokey Pokey
E loves to be dizzy, upside down, or shaking his head. He does it all the time and it cracks him up. So I'm not sure why it took me so long to realize that the Hokey Pokey is the perfect game/song for him! He can be crying, cranky, whining, whatever, and the song will immediately grab his attention and produce a smile. His favorite, obviously, is the head... since the instructions to "shake it all about" is one of his favorite things to do. He also loves to "turn yourself about" and clap while I end with "That's what it's all about!"