We’ve spent a lot of time cooped up the past week with nothing but our toys to keep the kids entertained. Ouest, despite our best attempts, has not become proficient at sharing. Lowe, to combat this, has learned to be sneaky.

We have seven Little People and Ouest plays games with them a lot. She lines them up, takes them for drives, shopping, whatever. Lowe watches carefully, listens as Ouest repeats for the tenth time, “No, Lowe,” and then when she’s got her back turned he strikes. He snatches up one of them, turns around, and hightails it out of there.

Ouest turns back and within ten seconds it hits her. “Where’s LaMar!” Yes, LaMar. Because it’s a cool name, that’s why.

Then, “Lowe! No Lowe!”

And the chase is on. He runs for it, but she’s too big and fast. For now. One more year and she’ll have a contender on her hands.

That last picture is Ouest putting Ali in a time-out. It’s funny listening to her put on her serious adult persona. “Time owwt, Mama.”

Ali and I both love being put in time-out. For a minute or so we get to just sit there and do nothing. Ali got put in a four hour time-out today, but I insisted to Ouest that she should be granted leniency.