Ah, gender roles!

Today we had the pleasure of a short, but very sweet (and pretty stinkin' funny) visit from Ewan while his Mommy made a quick trip to the grocery store (hmm...a boy who didn't want to go shopping? imagine that! example #1!). Natalie was pretty excited over a surprise friend visit (this may have actually been the start of one of the best days she has had in a loooong time, no crying OR whining all day today! hooray!).

Immediately upon friend arrival they disappeared into the bedroom to check out some new Christmas toys. While Kelli and I chatted at the door, Keith witnessed a funny little scene. Picture this: Ewan-head down, tinkering with the cars/parts of the Giggle-and-Go garage. Natalie-wearing her new and untainted (by this I mean not yet worn outside...GERMS!) church shoes trying to get Ewan to respond to this, "Do you like my new shoes? Do you like my new SHOES? Do you LIKE my NEW SHOES??" and to this Ewan responds (without looking up from his stuff), "yeah". Typical.

Then they were trying to figure out what to play with next and Natalie wanted to share her tea set with Ewan, I mean Brady will play with her, why not Ewan? He was having none of it. When asked his firm, but thoughtful reply was "no".

And for a change of pace...Keith was playing "monster" with the kids. You know the one where he "hides" and jumps out to scare them and they run away screaming in "fear"? Anywho, we could hear Natalie in the bedroom reassuring Ewan with things like, "It's OK, we can be brave" or "Let's be brave" or "We can do it!". And then she would lead the way into the lair of the monster, taking upon herself the brunt of the attack.

Oh, to be a kid again! At least they found something to play together! I was thinking back on past play dates, and I think this may be the first one in a while where they actually played together, so that was GOOD!