According To Gabi

Over the weekend we upgraded all three of Gabi's car seats to boosters, and added an extra booster in my mom's car so she can do preschool carpool.

That gave us FOUR big boxes (and very empty wallets), and while Gabi was excited about her new mode of transportation, she couldn't wait to get her hands on those empty boxes.

Over the next few days, she spent most of her waking time outside on the patio with those boxes, making up games and building things. Last night she dragged two of our living room quilts outside and added them as building material. I think what she ended up with was a house with a boat inside.

Those boxes have been the best distraction ever. Kids really don't need big expensive toys. I think most would rather use their imagination and play with regular things. According to Gabi, at least, all a kid needs to be happy are the contents of the kitchen cupboards, empty boxes and a few blankets. The possibilities are endless.

With Gabi happily playing on the patio and the kitchen clean, I had lots of time to watch her through the window and let my mind wander. I started thinking about other things as seen through her eyes.

According to Gabi

1) Any child her age wants to be her new best friend, even if the extent of their friendship is the time they spend standing in line at the grocery store.

2) You can do things super fast if someone hits the fast forward button on their remote control (any other Upside Down fans out there?).

3) Later is a frustrating word, because you never know exactly when later is going to be.

4) Fish that can breathe and walk on land are super scary.

5) Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny are all pretend, but the Binky Fairy is real (I'm not ready to tell her the truth on that one quite yet).

6) Whip cream tastes better sprayed directly out of the can into the mouth.

7) Baby slugs LOVE spending the night in her bug catcher because it makes them feel safe.

8) You can never ever have too many stuffed animals.

9) By yelling "Freeze!" she can stop people dead in their tracks.

Four is a really wonderful age, full of imagination and magic.