Train Play "Techniques"

Ok, So trains are a big part of the Hess household. Lucas is really into Thomas trains and his train table ($25 garage sale steal!). He knows all the train names by heart and doesn't always want to share...at least with his little sister who sometimes like to tear the track apart. But of course since Lucas is always playing trains Lilly wants to be a part of her big brothers world so we are always in a sharing struggle. What usually happens is Lucas will see her coming and grab a different toy to give her in order to distract her from his table.

When she makes it to the table, a different approach is taken. Now the picture above looks like Lucas being nice but really this is a "pull and push" technique where he will pull her away and push her in a different direction...sometimes done gently and sometimes not.This is his "shooing" technique, as he calls it. He saw this picture and said "That's me shooing Lilly from my trains!" In the picture above they are actually laughing and playing chase...laughing is not typically the outcome of the "shooing technique."
Another approach as she gets near the table is FULL of love...otherwise known as the "grab and hug technique"...which can turn into more of a chokehold as seen in the above picture (Yes, Lilly's head is under that hat). She tends to just giggle and enjoy the love. Really, for Lilly it is just all about the hats. She doesn't care too much about the trains but does have a couple pink and purple "girl" trains of her own...(which Lucas will sometimes give her). Having two kids is alot of work and alot of fun. They are getting to the stage where they play together pretty well and Lucas likes to tell her what to do and not to do. Or "Follow me Lilly" techinique. I think by this summer it will be really fun to watch them play...especially outside in the sun!