I discovered this during a desperate week. "Falling back" to standard time has been disastrous at our house. The kids are now waking up at 5:30 a.m. and running out of steam long before 9 a.m. The boys push, shove, and tackle each other all morning while Avery screams at them every time their wrestling gets close to her stuff. If I leave the living room to make toast or pour cups of milk, I am interrupted by loud thuds and bloodcurdling screams. It's been rough.
In a desperate attempt to try something new to break our bad cycle, I set out a tupperware container of river rocks yesterday morning. All three kids were captivated by the smooth stones. They sorted, piled, poured, and played quietly together for at least 10 minutes. It was so peaceful that I kept peeking into the living room to make sure they were all still breathing. And they were! They were also smiling, laughing, and working together.
So, today I headed out to Hobby Lobby to buy more of these magic rocks. My mom thought I was crazy to pay money for rocks, but I explained that these magic rocks are smooth and polished, which makes them better than ordinary backyard rocks. They are also clean. Plus, they were only $2.99 for a three-pound bag. I bought two bags and used 40%-off coupons to get an even better deal. In the Christmas section, I found miniature baking tongs for $1.99. I bought two pairs of these for picking up the rocks. This will help develop find motor skills, too.
Back at home, I poured the rocks into a plastic shoebox-sized container. I set out the tongs, an old muffin tin, plastic measuring cups, and a few tupperware containers. The boys were captivated for about 15 minutes, which is amazing for two-year-olds. Then., naturally, they started throwing the rocks across the room and it was time to put the activity away. Rock-throwing aside, I think this will be great indoor fun this winter.
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