Bubbling Boilers

You could walk into our house at any point on any day and there would either be a train set in the living room or cars or blocks or shoes lined up like a train.  No inside toy has ever captured Rush’s attention so completely.  His current morning routine is wake-up, eat breakfast, watch an episode of Thomas and Friends, pull out the train set.



It feels normal to be spending my days setting up towers of blocks at the bottom of a ramp made improvised from a Rubbermaid lid so Rush and I can drive cars into them, but some mothers are playing with Barbies and coloring.  That sounds so relaxing it would almost feel like cheating.  Rush isn’t big on coloring.  It’s important to me to foster my children’s creativity and I’m realizing it’s going to take more than crayons and a blank piece of paper. 



So sitting down to draw is not a typically a winning idea around here.  (Well, let’s clarify – I would enjoy it.  It’s not currently a winning idea for the rest of my housemates.)  But sitting down to make tunnel for the train – success!  A shoe box plus brown paper, markers and tape, and we have a great addition to the train set.  Rush is so proud of his creation; it was the first thing he told Trent about when he got home.  And now it’s an important part of playing with trains.



I stand behind the belief that everyone is creative and if you’re struggling with that you just have to figure out how you’re creative.  Rush and Tate have art in their blood, so I’m going to do my best to make sure they use it.  It’s going to stretch my creative thought process, coming up with ideas that work with what they’re interested in.  I’m looking forward to the challenge