Educational Play

To my son Tommy,

I have a pretty simple sense of humor.  Some would say it is odd and others would say it is evil.  One of my great joys is listening to your mother give you a bath.  The moment I enjoy the most is when the usual cuteness fades away and your mother attempts to wash your hair.  "You got it in my ear!" "Oh...come on...there is nothing in your ear."  "Yes it is"  "Well if you leaned your head back like mommy said..."  are the phrases I hear as tears and screams and yells stem from the bathroom.  I am blessed to hear these any bath time when most people would have to attend a Republican primary to hear this level of argument and debate.

After the scrubbing is done, I get to come in for the easy part, play time.  Most of the time it is just play and you splashing around with different bath toys, but tonight somehow it became educational.  We lined up ducks and frogs along the bath tub edge and worked out a pattern.  Quack, quack, ribbit, quack, quack, ribbit, duck, duck, frog.  We counted ducks.  We counted frogs.  We changed the pattern around to start with a frog or to end with a frog.  We would try to throw each other off and add things to our pattern that did not belong and pretend we didn't see the switch.  It is safe to say...your dad and you are dorks.  I kid.

That is one of the great joys of living with a four year old.  Every moment is a chance to learn.  Every moment is a chance to practice the skills of life.  Tubby time can be fun even with some practice on your educational skills.  Bed time can become a moment to fine tune your negotiating skills.  And snuggle time becomes the moment where you learn why life is worth living.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo