Day 19: The Man (Boy) Cave

It's still raining. 

My God California, who do you think you are, Seattle? Get over your depression, take some Prozac, and get on with your life. You know, "sunny California." 

My kids (and I) are really, really over the rain. They are not the type that can (happily) sit on the floor and play with their toys for twelve hours and be satisfied. They can for a little bit, but after maybe 45 minutes they'll stomp downstairs in that whiny bored face. 

"Mom, can't I pleeeeease go outside?"

No, you can't, because it's raining so hard you need a canoe. And it's blowing so hard your canoe will end up in Nevada. Just stay inside. 

So, I pulled from my "El Nino Indoor Emergency Kit" to keep them busy and happy. I had bought these a while ago and had planned on putting them in their Easter baskets but let's be honest, it probably won't rain after Easter and we needed an activity:

Well that's rad. 

These books are beyond cool. Each page has a double sided pattern and specific folding instructions. It's a little beyond both kids, but that forces lets parents be included too. Brad and I made two each for the kids. They had eagle rockets and dragon ships and one that actually looked like the space shuttle. Que the next hour of them running ALL over the house (and standing on furniture) to launch these suckers. 

Camden ready to launch his little alien ship off the sofa. 

 The problem with living in a townhouse (again) that was poorly insulated (again) is that the poor next door neighbors sharing a wall with us can hear every.thing. And my boys are now big enough that their noisemaking is big. Balls are bouncing off the walls, monster trucks are rolling (LOUDLY) across the floor and then CRASHING loudly together, voices are loud, everything with them is loud. 

Since we moved here (already nine months ago!), I envisioned turning our larger-sized garage into a sort of hang out. Somewhere for the kids to go and be loud/crazy/insane/insert annoying adjective here. We've since reorganized it (twice), and made at least a little space for them to play (if only we can get rid of that motorcycle! Hint hint....). So today was a PERFECT day to try out the new improved man/boy cave. I threw down Calen's road rug and installed a small space heater in there to make it at least almost warm. Add our extra dining chairs for seating and the picnic table that's been in there for a few days, and it's actually a pretty cool hangout. 

the cave

The boys took their hot wheels and paper airplanes in there and it made for a good afternoon chilling in the garage (like rednecks or something. All we needed was a TV). Then I threw the GIGANTIC box that the small space heater came with and a jar of markers, and they were set. 

After a while, they created a new game of "push my brother around the garage in the Amazon box". This lasted a serious hour. And then a game of "launch the paper airplane into the box to get points". And of course Calen was the scorekeeper and would somehow mysteriously always have just one point more than Camden, even if Cam really got the airplane in more times than Calen. To which Calen would announce "Well, you only are allowed to cheat if you're the older brother."

"NO, you're not! I announce Camden is the winner of the game THE END."

Parenting is really nothing more than intense refereeing. 

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