Pandemic lockdown has restricted travel, but T’s imagination rocketed us to outer space on a quiet Sunday.
All I wanted to do on this afternoon was nap – I feel so exhausted – but T’s endless energy needed an outlet and I always feel guilty about plopping him in front of the tablet all day.
So after starting a beef stew I was meal prepping in the Instant Pot, I decided we were going to outer space.
T and I first watched a real-life rocket launch, learned about the planets in the solar system, saw the surface of Mars, and learned about gravity.
Being a hands-on learner, T picked up his toys and hurled them across the living room.
“Look, gravity,” he said and I laughed nervously, grateful our living room will be renovated in the future, so I didn’t sweat the craters he created.
Then as I promised him, we created a rocket.
I took his tall IKEA toy storage unit and removed the drawers.
Then I put his foldable fire truck over it.
Then I asked T what we could use to enclose it and he suggested chairs and blankets.
Chairs and blankets it is!
Then T climbed in and explored his rocket. It was actually quite roomy inside!
I loved how he quickly got lost in his fantasy, pressing imaginary panels of control buttons on the side and making beeping noises.
Then we decided to pack for our adventure.
Ladybug and Dem Bones were going to join us in colonizing Mars.
Oh, and Buzz Lightyear too. Can’t forget him!
Then he made sure we had supplies and tools to build our home in Mars.
We were now ready for liftoff.
T plopped his Paw Patrol bucket upside down inside the rocket and it was now his pilot seat.
“Beep beep,” he said, pressing imaginary buttons.
We realized the fuel tank was empty and so he went outside the rocket to fuel up.
Countdown time and I asked T to count us down; it’s always nice when we can squeeze in math!
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1… and off we went!
We arrived on Mars in record time and I quizzed T. “What colour does it look like here on Mars?”
“Red,” he replied.
Ok good, so he was listening earlier. Hard to tell sometimes when he’s squirming in his seat.
Then suddenly, he spotted our cat Kyrie’s cone from his recent trip the the vet.
Then we were now in a vet’s office instead of outer space. His stuffed Dalmatian was now sick because she ate too many vitamins which made her break out in spots.
Such is the life of living with a child with ADHD and the attention span of a squirrel.
Oh… and the beef stew turned out great! An Earthly comfort we can’t wait to dig into soon.
So much fun and your stew looks amazing!
Thank you Diane. I wanna do a restaurant pretend play with him one of these days. I think we’d all enjoy that. 🙂
Aww This is all so sweet! And that stew looks amazing, wow 🙂
Thank you! All that is missing on our end is some banana bread for dessert!
Oh, this is so cute. You’re doing a great job, Ab. Not everyone gets to have things like this 🥺 Hope you and your family is safe!
Thank you!
That sounds like the Sunday of a child’s dreams. I love your attunement and dedication to your son’s needs. (And, your stew looks wonderful).
Thank you LaDonna! It wasn’t the most restful Sunday but it was very fun. And the stew is for tonight. Simple but covers the food groups. Haha. Hope you had a nice weekend.
Your Sunday did not sound relaxing at all!! But what a creative way to spend the day while also adding some educational elements into play time. The hearty stew for dinner looks delicious.
Thank you, L. Was very tiring weekend as well. But it was fun to have some creativity play time with our T. Hope you had a relaxing one!
This is so good Ab. You’ve given me some great ideas for my own son who is currently obsessed with the moon and space! 🙏
Thank you! Enjoy your own space adventure. We’re gonna construct a rocket out of cardboard next week. Might be more sturdy!
Sounds like a fun afternoon and looks like a yummy dinner. Here’s hoping it was as enjoyable as it looks!
It was fun, thanks Robyn! We both got lost in space for about an hour – just in time for the stew to finish cooking. If this pandemic lasts any longer, we may very well discover the hidden secrets of the universe too! Sigh. Hope yours was more eventful!