James and Chloe - Sleepover at Daddy's

James and Chloe stayed at Daddy's and had a fine old time. In this picture, they enjoy a snack of yoghurt and chocolate pudding. The reason they were looking like they weren't enjoying their snacks was because they wanted to play instead. They each took only one bite, and then played with their toys.

Chloe had exciting ideas about what to play. A plate with Fruit Loops sits beside her, ready for nibbling.

James spent some concerted effort creating new Lego vehicles.

Chloe and James each got a mini-cupcake. Daddy cleaned this photo up. Previously, cupcake icing covered Chloes chin and nose and cheeks.

James was working on something... I didn't know what. I took this quick snapshot.

Chloe was still working on her cupcake. Turns out, she was more interested in the icing than she was the cake part. Daddy couldn't remove the green icing from her teeth in this image.

Chloe donned her fairy wings, and played with her helium balloon. James and she both have one (it's still floating against the ceiling, 2 weeks later).

Ah-ha! This is the piece James had been working on. He made it all himself, without any assistance, or needing to talk about it. Daddy thinks it is simply amazing!

Mugging for the camera - along with his Plasticine smiley face!

I was so impressed. He was very proud of the great craft piece he'd made.

We placed it on a board to dry.

Chloe wanted to see how he had done this. So James helped her make one for herself. He would come up with suggestions, agree to them, and then put them into place. Chloe was tickled pink.

Chloe was standing by.

After a while, Chloe asked to be lifted up the last two steps of the four step bunkbed ladder. She played up at the top for a while. Paper lanterns were fun to bounce about. Stickers were fun to touch and to observe.

After all of that playing and after dinner, James and Chloe went into the bath. Daddy surprised them with a few balloons floated down from the ceiling. They then played with a sheet of foam board that Daddy had cut up into shapes. When it gets the foam board shapes stick to the tile, and can be easily rearranged. They spent a lot of time playing with this - collaborating. James taught Chloe how the made a house shape.

They had much to discuss.

They shared many giggles.

James then made Chloe a hat - a facecloth stuck to her head. She accepted this with grace.

What James didn't know is that Chloe had stuck a couple of pieces of foamboard to his head when he was not watching. She took great delight in this.

Daddy saw her do this, and she found it hilarious. James didn't know.

In quieter moments, James and Chloe imagined all sorts of things.

James might have been playing under a waterfall, or building a magnificent machine. Daddy didn't intrude.

Once they had both been wrapped up like burritos in a towel, wobbled about, and then bounced up and down on Daddy's legs while they hummed and made wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa sounds with their voices, James and Chloe played about for longer. It was James's turn to wear the fairy wings. Chloe didn't like that. Daddy then made Chloe a figure out of foamboard in her likeness. Then Daddy made one for James. They put aside their differences, and delighted in the figures. Daddy glued them to the wall.

It was bedtime, and Daddy unveiled the Sock Cuddlies. Stuffed with pillow stuffing, each face was made from puffy paint which had dried overnight into a soft, pliable design. Chloe's read 'Chloe' at the bottom. Jame's read 'James' at the bottom.

Almost too tired to talk anymore, they tussled about with their new squishy toys.

They examined them.

And were very happy. Shortly after this photograph, Daddy removed half the stuffing from each of the Sock Cuddlies to make them a little more cuddly. A quick video call with Mummy and then Daddy read them a story. In short order (within 3 minutes) Chloe was fast asleep. James followed her to dreamland 3 minutes after that.