Lately we have backslid into too much screen time. We have all been sick and recovering from surgery and exhausted and just trying to make it through each day. Milo, Oliver, and Emil keep passing illnesses back and forth, and Milo has barely eaten anything since Saturday. Their little bodies fight hard and they are doing better every day, but man is it rough.
Yesterday I let Milo watch one little show on our iPad, then encouraged him to choose an activity he could do while lying down (poor kid just has no energy). He chose lacing cards, and I got a few shots of him before I joined him; I remember doing this as a little girl! One thing this whole fiasco has done is give us more time together. 
He snuggles up next to me and talks about all sorts of things, mostly facts about animals and stories from his days in school. Having his little feverish body close to mine reminds me of his infancy, when I used to nap with him in the afternoons in the big bed in the front bedroom of our rented Baltimore row house. It seems like yesterday, really.
The beauty of lacing is two-fold, I think. The task itself prepares for more complex sewing and is quite good for fine motor skills. But more than that, it is an activity much like coloring- I always get the most thoughtful chatter from my boys when they are engaged in a rote activity that keeps their hands busy. Ask them anything straight-on, and it’s a different story. But do something with them, and it’s marvelous how much they open up.
Have a beautiful day.
You are a supremely wonderful parent. Awed.
I’ve been reading all your posts but with limited internet access at the moment, I just haven’t commented. Just wanted to give you and your family a big internet hug. Holy smokes, you guys have been through so much. Sending healing thoughts your way, and hopefully this means you guys are due for an incredible spring and summer:)
Ps. I let Octave peel garlic for me the other day (inspired by one of your posts,) and the girl was entertained for 45 minutes! Every day she around dinner time she asks to cut and peel the garlic. So whether we need it or not, we are absolutely putting it in EVERY dish. Ha!
Ha, ha! Erin, that is just so great. Who would have thought that a task I find so tedious and time-consuming would be a favorite for little kids?! And thank you for the well-wishes. Today was a much better day… I can feel us coming up and into the light (finally)!
Those cards are really fun, we need to get some. It’s so tough to limit screen time when everyone is sick, and then I’m never sure if everyone is cranky because of illness or because of too much movie watching.
Really hoping you guys can get a healthy and relaxing weekend in, you are very due!
Lauren, where did you get the lacing cards? AWESOME activity, want to get them for my nephews!
Alejandra, the farm animal lacing cards are vintage, but the Museum of Modern Art New York has these modern shapes on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/MoMA-Modern-Shapes-Lacing-Cards/dp/0811873412/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1397304310&sr=8-14&keywords=lacing+cards
And these dinosaur lacing cards are really cute too!
http://www.amazon.com/Lauri-LR2571-Lacing-Tracing-Dinosaurs/dp/B000F8XGEE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1397304434&sr=8-5&keywords=lacing+cards
Or if your nephews are still pretty young, The Very Hungry Caterpillar:
http://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Caterpillar-Lacing-Cards-World/dp/1452108196/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1397304473&sr=8-6&keywords=lacing+cards
Thank you, Lauren!!!!! They are going to love it!