.JPG)
OK, I admit it. I've gotten a little lazy.
Before, when it was time to play, I used to set out all of Liam's toys in this beautiful arrangement so that everything could be easily grabbed with one reach of a little arm or one grasp of a tiny hand.
But now, when he wants to play, I just (1) plop him down, (2) put the toy basket beside him, and (3) walk away.
Well, I walk only a few feet away, usually to the kitchen so I can wash the dishes yet keep an eye on him at the same time.
His curious little eyes peer over the basket's edge until his strong arms pull the basket downward for an exciting view down inside.
And while he's certainly strong enough to simply dump all the contents out, our boy prefers to take each toy out at a time, examining and appreciating the fine details of each one. Each time he removes a toy, he lets go of the basket and it rights itself again with a strong "Thud!" that has me turning to look every time, praying that The Little Man hasn't fallen over.
It'll take him a solid 20-minutes to empty the basket of all of its contents, the ones at the bottom being the most challenging to get out. This buys mama more time to get those dishes done!
Oh, Liam Lee, how I love to watch you "discover" your toys on your own. You are growing up much too fast!
