remains of the play

There is a benefit to not cleaning everything up right away. The kids do their thing, play their games, and move on to another location, leaving these cool tableaus behind. Usually I know what they are about, but if I’ve been focused on something else, I might come across little scenes that are a complete mystery. Sometimes, if I ask, the kids will tell me these elaborate stories, often resulting in more play with that particular scenario. Other times, they can’t remember, or are too busy to bother filling me in. Sometimes I take pictures.

Here’s one I found this morning.

And from the back:

I wonder what it is? An army set to attack? An audience for a performance now gone? A line waiting for lunch?

Here’s another:

This one is like a parade. Only I think the red and blue lego creations were cakes. So maybe a giant dinosaur birthday party?

Here’s a mysterious one:

I have no idea about this one. Was the frog, to the left, part of the scene? It’s like they are swimmers, about to dive in to a pool for a race. Or maybe space dinosaurs, about to be beamed up.

Here are a few I caught while they were still being set up:

This one is a honeycomb, with white daisies, and the shapes on the right are the bees.

This one was a tea party. I like the two cows on the left, vegetarian solidarity in such carnivorous company.

I don’t know if you can see it, but each of these unfortunate dinosaurs is extensively bandaged with tape. This was the remains from an episode of Dinosaur Hospital.

The kids have been doing this since they could lift the toys. Here is one of 1 year old Luc, feeding a large group of critters. He’s so conscientious with his friends, making sure they all get what the need…

I don’t know what the one below is, but I think it was a costume party. Several of the dinosaurs are wearing other dinosaurs, like masks.

And I’ll leave you with a hilarious one I came across one morning, during the time when Luc was figuring out the whole ‘pee goes in the potty’ issue:

Sometimes I look at the mountains of toys left out, at these elaborate scenes and I groan, oh god, more mess to clean up. Toys everywhere! Why don’t they ever clean up after themselves? But man, when I do that, I’m missing out. It’s so interesting to see into their minds and lives in this way. They are such cool little people! Usually I can remember that I’d rather be in relationship with them, then have a clean yurt. Both of them are playing right now. I wonder what they’ll leave behind…