More days like these min fadlak!

Um where to start. We had. Eid Mubarak - hope everyone had a blessed Eid. Amin. Alhamdulillah we woke, offerd Eid salah whilst DH was at the masjid. Boys had brekkie, which in this house consists (on Eid morning and hereon after til Eid ends) of Weetabix followed by crisps and Twix - neither of which he gets the year round. So he really looks forward to it. But he said halfway through the crisps... "You know... what I *really* like MORE than crisps??" ... Me: "MORE than crisps??? What???" .... *sideways glance with silly grin*: "Presents" *silly grin continues unabated.

OK, so this year I am a bit nervous of the annual offering of presents seeing as I have done a U-Turn on toys etc etc. So I was really dreading him opening the stuff and going: "Okay, this crap is really, really cute an' all - but where's my REAL presents", because *hold breathe* I bought no vehicles. *SHRIEK!*

So we went through to the living room and bless him he was chuffed masha'allah. He opened half and then said... "I think the cars are in *those* boxes".... I said: "er, WHAT cars??" and it was obvious he was expecting something with wheels. Oh dear.

Anyway, after opening everything something rather wonderful happened. He played. He actually *played* like I have never seen him play before. We were *playing* together and inventing stories and using our brains and boy does it tire you out to play properly. I blame myself. I have been getting him the wrong toys for such a long time I didn't realise how far I'd stunted him. *Hangs head*

Jaws "gave him" a Subaru as "his" gift and Boss was just in total awe of his brother (mission accomplished Mummy *pats own head*) and in absolute gratitude of his *one* car. Only one and much more appreciated than three or four or five or seventeen.

So today we played again. It wasn't a one off. I had set the scene last night - usually I just let him get what he wants out to play with, but having a re-think on how we do things meant that one of the things you do is set a scene - you present somethings for them to play with so that it acts as a springboard to their own input. So I made a kinda castle. and had some figures out in various positions. He was genuinely awed when he came in the living room this morning and said with excitement, "Oh! Look! Someone has made this look REALLY nice!" and bounded over to play with it. It consisted of an all-day play - from 9am to 6pm and only stopping at my insistence for tidying up. That never happens here - playtime used to last five minutes, maximum! Play quickly escalated into how many people he could kill with his sword *shrugs ... must work on innate violent tendencies*. And he made cups of tea. And he dressed up as a policeman. And then we played "tig" (a lot harder than you think in a teeny living room!) Read lots of books. And then he cooked something whilst I made a real cup of tea and he really taking an interest in it all of a sudden - asking to stir the tea and help in the kitchen. Then we played castle again. And again. Made a cuppa. And then again.

It is like I have a different child. No, perhaps not that. A different relationship based on play which has strengthened something which has been hanging by a thread for far too long. Alhamdulillah. He said something today about something I said two years ago (yes, masha'allah he has a *very* good memory) and it had obviously been bothering him, something I regretted saying and wanted to make amends over but didn't know how, and today, through play, it was like a kind of healing. Man, I should write a book - this kind of below-the-navel folk-psycho-babble would sell really well in the States.... but I'm just really happy I made the change with the toys and the way of doing things here. For us it has really worked and made a huge difference in our relationships. Alhamdulillah. Such a lot of sadness that I got it wrong for such a long time and happiness that this was opened up to me. We are so blinded we can't see our own defects. Alhamdulillah for guidance as we are too blind to see anything - even the most obvious things - unless it is Willed.

Deaf, dumb and blind.... hm...

OK Piccies:

The Lights

The Pressies

The Pressie Kitchen

The Pressie Openers

The Castle wot I made

Defending the realm

On top of the stable ... 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough...'

"Why doesn't the Queen fight Mum?"....'er... Her dress won't go over the horse....hmmm'

Side entrance

Hidden entrance/tunnel in the mysterious forest

Engrossed in play

The washing machine is a-washing and the cooker is a-cooking

Very hot. Don't touch.

Dinner is served...

I cooked this myself...

Hope you all had a great day.