I think if I were a toy manufacturer, watching a child play with a toy I’d created would dishearten me.  Children, like cats (do the comparisons never cease?!) tend to find the pieces not meant to be played with and get the most fun out of those.

Some love the sound of ripping paper.  Others could spend hours, days even, with cardboard boxes.  Jacob has taken to playing with pieces of unadorned cloth, like bibs and burp cloths.  Often I find him chewing on the the tag of a specialized infant toy covered with black and white patterns and filled with squeakers, bells, and rattles.  What a silly boy.

The most fun lately, though, has come from hands and faces. We wiggle our fingers in front of his face or hold him up to our eye level and the fun gets goin’!

 

 

While he does tend to pinch, I love playing with him one-on-one, without some piece of plastic or plush getting the credit for making him happy.  I realize this phase is probably short-lived, but for now, it’s convenient and quiet . . . until he starts to laugh.

 

 

This week, my favorite thing about being a mom is the way seeing things from Jacob’s perspective helps me to see my world in a new light.

 

 

Even if that “new perspective” is often upside down.