Life in the Clark Lane: Playing with Parker

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Playing with Parker

Over the past couple of months, we have become good friends with our neighbors--Jamie, Scott, Parker, Owen (& Oscar, the dog, who might be Lilly's favorite). Such good friends, you might say that they are part of the reason we have decided to stay in our condo for at least the next 6 months! Lilly and Parker love playing together while Jamie and I can sit and talk endlessly. We've walked over there and had dinner a few times after all the little ones are asleep; they are literally 100 yards away from us. So close, in fact, that Lilly often makes a break for it and tries to run over to Parker's so that she can sit in Parker's pink chair, on their porch (see the picture above for proof). Parker is 22 months old and Lilly is 15 months so they're good little companions, although they're still at the age where they tend to play separately but in the same room. There usually isn't a whole lot of interaction between the two of them unless one of them wants a toy that the other is holding! Parker calls Lilly, "Wiwwy," which I never get sick of hearing. It's so convenient to live across the backyard from each other because setting up times to play can be difficult with different nap schedules and all the other activities that being a toddler entails. We'll often get the girls together in the late afternoon for an hour before dinner time. They'll run around in circles or play at the water table or we take them down to the pool; we've gone to a little gym class together; it's an ideal situation! I finally took some pictures of them the other day.

Lilly and Oscar

Little Owen, comfy on Jim's lap. He's almost 6 months old and adorable!

Lilly using Parker's stroller before Parker got home; this might be her favorite toy. When she first discovered it, she would climb into the stroller and Parker would push her around!