Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

Last night Charlotte wanted to play a game with me. Henry was in the sandbox and Dave was cleaning up dinner dishes. She said she wanted to play duck duck goose. The following is a transcript of this event.

Kate: Okay, how do you play?
CJ: You sit in a circle and touch peoples heads and say duck and then goose and then you run.
Kate: so do we need another person to play?
CJ: no, we can do it.
[we sit in a "circle" across from each other]
CJ: I'll go first
[stands up and deliberates...wheels turning in mind...]
No, you go first.
Kate: I think we need someone else. go get daddy
[dave and henry join us. CJ wants to play upstairs in our bedroom. we sit on the floor as charlotte goes around us]
CJ: Duck
Henry: Duck [gets up and follows her]
CJ: duck
Henry: duck
CJ: goose! [as she pats Dave's head]
Henry: Goose!
[charlotte runs around the circle, dave gets up to follow her, she completes the circle then keeps going and runs into her room. Henry follows her. Dave follows her. They all come back]
Charlotte: Okay, now your turn, Daddy.
[in a whisper: call me the goose!]

This continued for about 15-20 minutes with Henry refusing to sit down always following whoever was it and repeating duck or goose. The running was in all directions and made little sense or difference whether the person who was it was gotten by the goose. Again, Playing with her is like playing with a drunk person. Just another reason why living with toddlers is like being at a frat party.

The people in your neighborhood

This afternoon as naptime approached, the kids were bickering over toys and me, so I kicked us outside. I picked some ripe tomatoes and Henry noted that the people 3 doors down had a lawn service doing some weed-wacking. So the kids and I walked down there. On the porch was the man who lived there, Mr. Zazakis. He and his wife, Marina, are from Greece though they've been here in the states since they were in their 20's. They invited the kids in right away and gave them candy. The kids made themselves at home and sat on the couch and then it was sort of awkward when the kids decided to go upstairs. But the Zazakis were so nice and welcoming. They sent me home with some candies from Greece that their daughter, who lives there, brings to them. There is a picture of the Mona Lisa on the wrappers.

I think the kids are learning that every neighbor they visit will offer them treats. What a nice neighborhood where that happens. Yesterday we visited Cele across the street and the kids played with her cats. And of course, yesterday when we got home from grocery shopping Henry got out of the car and started calling for Mary and Bernie. Mary was outside and she gave the kids popsicles. We're like the block moochers. I'm okay with that.