Puppet Shows

Addie and Carter got a puppet theatre from Grandma and Grandpa for their birthday. They also got some adorable new puppets, a king, a queen, a keystone cop and a bad guy. So Addie, Carter, Philip and I spent the morning taking turns putting on puppet shows. It was really enlightening to listen to their imaginative ramblings as they played with the puppets and the theatre. They didn't quite get the concept of putting on a show or telling a story until I did a show for them. Then there little minds just spun these great tales using all the different puppets we had, the new people puppets and the old animal and bug puppets from last Christmas. Of course Philip had to take the puppet playtime to a whole new level. He decided that he needed to build a new set so he went and got his play nail gun and was busy "building" a stage and ladders and doors etc. He thought there should be some big strings of lights and a bigger stage, so we had to put the puppet show on hold while all three kids got out the tools and went to work. Philip was a great foreman delegating jobs to Addie and Carter. Philip would say, "put some screws in the front, OK now tighten the bolt. Hammer this nail in the board." Addie and Carter would pretend to do just what he said. Someday they just might all go into business together. I love to see this cooperative play time. It really reminds me that I need to slow down a little more often and let them lead the way, taking time to just play whatever and however they want without worrying about teaching them something or keeping their room tidy. They learn so much just by playing with each other, and the mess, well there is always time to clean tomorrow because the mess isn't going anywhere.