Girl power and the making of men

Today I kept my friend Lara's youngest daughter, Kylee while she and her husband went house shopping. It was great to repay her for watching Bennett for me while I worked in the classroom a few weeks ago. I have seen Bennett excited to play with his friends, but I've never seen him smitten like this before. I was watching the development of girl power right before my very eyes. It started when she first arrived and she was a little slow to warm up. After having a snack, we came out to the living room to play and Kylee kind of hovered near me and watched the Backyardigans episode I had turned on. Bennett sensed her apprehension and came over to her. He was saying "Kylee, come play" and when this didn't work, he just started rubbing her back. It was very cute to watch and to see him reacting this way to her. When that didn't work, he went and got a few toys and started playing with them very animatedly. It's as if he was saying "look how COOL these toys are" and trying to entice her to come play with them. She finally gave in when he broke out the Handy Manny tool box and they played until it was time to go to story time. I loaded them up in the car, and off we went. They held hands the entire way there and I can tell you that this pleased Bennett immensely.















I was very impressed with the two of them at story time. We met a couple other friends there and while the books were way above any of their heads, Bennett and Kylee must have sensed that I was not prepared for either of them to get crazy on a day when it was just me with two strong willed toddlers. They were so good! They sat there, trying to grasp the extra long leprechaun story and being quiet. They participated in and impromptu musical parade and then before we knew it, story time was over. They got to spend a few minutes looking at books and playing with puzzles at the library before it was time to come home.

Once we got home, we had a little time to kill before it was time to go get Morgan and it was such a pleasant day out, I thought I'd let them play with the sand table for a little while before it was time to go. They started playing and then all of the sudden, Kylee ran off from the sand table and Bennett called after her,"Kylee! You come play?" She gave him a little smile and then ran off. This was too much for him to bear, so he took off after her and finally got her to come back to the sand table. Only temporary, though, because she thought that was fun and it became a game that she could engage him in. The best game, though, came a few minutes later when she dropped one of the toys that she had been holding. No sooner had it hit the ground and then Bennett was over there, handing it to her, "Here you go, Kylee!". She smiled and waited until he went back over to the sand table, looked at him, held the toy out away from her and dropped it again on purpose. As if it were some scientific experiment, the rat took the bait and came back for more. Picked it up again, and handed it to her, "Here you go, Kylee!". Rinse. Repeat. Sucker!!

Oh the ways we women learn how truly manipulable men are. And how early it starts! :) Bennett didn't mind in the least though, he was just so tickled to even be in her presence. I sense a long and sordid affair between those two over the years. ;-)