Ivan and Ezri built the Ka-pow-zer Punchbot 2000. It has battering ram elements for ka-pow punching the bad guys.

Nothing makes Ivan happier than a good stick for his stick collection.

We stayed after school on a sunny Monday and played. Ivan mostly chased Eli around the yard chanting “ELI! ELI!” and then mock fighting with him. Eli is an Ivan-tolerant first grade classmate of his big sister. Their mock battles go better since the day Eli punched Ivan in the stomach and he crumpled crying. Eli completely shocked said, “I am sorry. I thought he was invincible,” and looked near tears himself. I seem to remember Ivan chanting on that day “I AM INVINCIBLE.” Anyway, that was fall and the battles that rage now rarely end in tears though I have prohibited Ivan from using sticks in the battles. I also remind him to listen to Eli and stop when Eli asks. Ivan is not afraid of Eli’s hissing cackle like other kids pretend to be. Notably, a girl who screamed and was heard to say, “Eli is trying to kill us until we are dead.”

Last year I was always Ivan’s playmate on the playground while his big sister ran around with other kids. Now, he’s looking to the kids to be his playmates. It’s nice to see him making some friends his age and I am less likely to be asked to pretend to be a Wookiee or a cheetah these days.

Looking forward to spring days on the playground . . . still plenty of winter left.

Ivan has also discovered the art of charving – that’s chew + carving. He proudly proclaimed he had turned the bagel into the shape of the Millenium Falcon. Often, he makes bagels into battarangs.

He’s really proud of this artistry, but I’m trying not to encourage playing with his food.

Ivan heard another child leaving basketball class talking with his mom about going to Starbucks and convinced me that for fairness’ sake we should go too. And he should get a cake pop.

“Only an Ewok on a speeder can defeat the Emperor! YES, WICKET! He can destroy every single bad guy.”

“Emperor Basketball. In the hoop!” Now he’s throwing defeated imperial figurines into a box to play basketball.

“The battle is over. The Ewoks win. The Ewoks always win!”

Ivan’s violent Star Wars battle play is so creative.

He decorated this in the morning with Grandma Liz while Ezri was at school. When we picked her up Ivan talked about making a gingerbread man. Ezri asked if she could eat one. I said maybe a bit of the foot. She asked if she couldn’t please have a whole gingerbread man. Upon seeing the creation she reconsidered the wisdom of eating a whole gingerbread man and went with my “bit of the foot” plan.

Ivan is funny when he has not yet woken up fully. He stomps around a bit and looks like the photos above.