Games

"You must invent your own games and teach us old ones how to play. "-Nikki Giovanni

Games we play at our house:

• Smoochy foot: This one is by far the most long-running game, we've been playing it with Maeve since she was 2 months old.  She waves a foot in the air, we smooch it.  Laughter ensues.
• Where's Maeve?  This is our version of peekaboo, but it takes many forms.  Maeve hides behind something, stands behind me, or walks into another room.  I say "Where's Maeve?" until she reappears, then I say "There you are!!!" and grab her and squeeze until she wriggles away.  This can also be played as Where's Mom? or Where's Daddy?, although that's usually just one of us with a rag over our faces.  
• Sharing.  Maeve is chewing on an object; Maeve hands the object to an adult who makes yummy chewy noises next to the object until Maeve grabs it back with a huge grin on her face.  Mostly this game is about the stealing back, I think.
• Tickling.  Maeve will not acknowledge a tickle until you say "Teekle teekle teekle!" Otherwise it's just your fingers getting in her way.
• Attachment.  I put two of her toys together, like sticking a teething ring around a tiger's leg.  She giggles and removes it.  This is related to What's On My Head? which involves me putting something silly on my head, or one of her stuffed animal's heads, and waiting for her to come remove it, beaming.  This is why we can't wear hats, because Maeve thinks it's a game and takes it off.
• Maeve-in-a-Basket.  Just what it sounds like.

These are the games we play all day long, along with reading books, wandering around the house, and going to the playground or the mailbox.  It's tough work, but somebody's gotta do it.

Loving the laundry basket