Kids at play

Continuing on with the series of posts about our visitors from a few weeks ago, here are playtime pictures! Eric, Alex, and Jacob drawing:


Running on the sidewalk on the way to a park.


Eric liked to run ahead and then hold up his hand and say "STOP!" He also liked to run ahead and then clasp Clara's hand when she caught up. She really liked this!


And she liked to watch them running, too!


I think that having really friendly kids around was great for Clara. When she went back to Kita after everyone was gone she seemed to be much more comfortable. She also started talking in her last two days at Kita (before it shut for their three week summer vacation). We thought it was strange that she didn't talk at Kita considering how much she talked at home, but I guess it was just a comfort thing. Anyway, here's a photo of Clara with tons of people in her bedroom:



I think that's all the photos I have with all four kids. The rest of the photos are just Clara and Jacob. Here they are getting measured:


"Doing the bicycle"


The photo below is great. Clara is doing her "Sophia grin" and Jacob is facing the wrong way. Nancy told me that out of every five of their photos four are of the back of Jacob's head!


Reading? Probably just rolling on the floor laughing!


Hoppe hoppe Reiter! Clara would always hang on to Jacob (usually his arm) when I gave them both a ride.


I think we've mentioned our children's CD by the Barenaked Ladies. Jacob LOVED it, and while it wound Jacob up Jacob wound Clara up. The result was a whole lot of "spontaeous glee!"



Part two is what Jacob called the "froggy song." After playing it once or twice we needed a bit of a "cool down" period!



At the start of that video Clara runs off into our bedroom where she rolled on our bed shrieking all by herself!

Finally, as promised last time, the marching band! A few times a month a group of 3-6 people come marching up our street playing this really fiery music and asking for change (which people throw down from their balconies). Here is the whole group watching them,


and a video where you can hear the music:



I'm not sure if it's improvisation or actual pieces that they play, but I always like to hear it!