Playing House

     I have finally entered a phase in my life where I can grab a quick shower without the kids totally destroying the house.  This morning the scene downstairs was Ball playing with her dolls while Dude was looking for something to do.  Ball and Dude seemed amicable enough that I could risk leaving them alone for 10 minutes.  I silently prayed that whatever Dude found would be minimally destructive and I made a break for it.

     When I finished my shower I peeked downstairs,  I saw Ball in the corner and Dude holding a doll.  I asked Dude what he was doing and he said he was putting a diaper on the baby.  He picked the doll up by one foot, showed it to me, and slammed it back down on the ground.  Then he proceeded to put its cloth diaper on.
    
     Dude rarely plays with the girls.  He'll play in the same room as them, but this is a typical exchange:
Blondie: We're playing birthday party.  Dude, want to play?
Dude: Okay.  Pretend you guys go to the birthday party and I rolled over the people who weren't invited in my tank.
Or
Blondie: We're playing sleepover Dude.  Want to come?
Dude: I'll pack my blasters so I can shoot the bad guys if they come near our tent.

     Dude plays near his sisters, but not really with his sisters.  One might think this is natural because he is the lone boy outnumbered by girls.  However, even among his boy friends he'll only play with you if you're playing something he's into.  If you're playing Star Wars and he wants to play Ninjas, he'll go off by himself and play ninjas rather than adapt and play what you're into.  This is one of  Dude's "quirks".
      
     However, with all the dolls, the high chair, the bassinet, the strollers, and the toy kitchen I knew this was inevitable.  Ball and Dude were playing house.  It surprised me when it finally happened because Dude is not into dolls - at all.  Ball of course, was leading the charge, but Dude was pretty happily following. 

     Together they were diapering and dressing the baby for bed.  They laid the baby down  nicely for night time and sung her a song.  Then "Daddy" grabbed his gun, went to work, and joined the army to fight the bad guys.  That's our family for you.