Maya gets a tent

Last week we ran into Maya's former OT (from EI) and she was like "Wait here!  I've had a present for you guys in the trunk of my car for 2 months!"  We waited and she returned with a tent.  I knew Maya was going to flip out---she loves tents.  We drape blankets over the top of her crib and pretend she is in a tent and she can't get enough of it.

The next day, after school, we put the tent together (which was nice and easy--thanks, IKEA), Maya gleefully squealing next to me as it went up.  She dragged her word book inside and insisted that I close the flaps, so she could have some privacy.

I sat on the floor, listening to the ripriprip of velcro as she played with her PECs, arranging and rearranging and making little happy noises.  She didn't want me to open the flaps.  It was kind of boring.  Finally, I convinced her to let me open them up by suggesting that Parker join her in the tent.  "Pa!" she agreed.

This is the best!  Me & Pa in the tent!

Parker was less enthused.  Being confined in a little tent with only one escape route and an overzealous hugger is not his idea of the best time.  His survival instincts are too strong.  After a few minutes, I gave him permission to leave and he made a hasty exit.

Then Maya realized the best part of the tent---you can knock it over.  This was an accidental discovery, but a happy one.

She would throw herself backwards to knock it over, laying on her back and looking and the stripes and kick-kick-kicking her legs to her heart's content.  Then she would sit up, righting the tent, and throw herself backwards to do it again.

Here's a (pretty grainy, low quality) cell phone video where you can see her delighting in the knock-over-the-tent game: