Learning to Play...

What child does not love to play?

What child does not know how to play

(other than soccer)?

Ours!

Kofi is a smart

loving

helpful

wonderful

son.

He is mature for his age in so many ways.

This has its pros and cons.

It also has made his parents have to re-think how they see their children.

One thing that shocked us about Kofi,

was his inability to really

"Play."

He spends most of his time working and thinks that is what FUN is.

What normal family deals with this problem!
Most fantasize that their children love to work and think that work IS play.

But Kofi, he doesn't really understand the concept of toys and playing.

He is most adept at pulling toys apart and reducing them to their minimal size.

He is most adept at fiddling with anything -

whether it is a peice of plastic wrapping or paper found on the floor.

Give him anything round and ball shaped and he will soon be kicking it like a soccer ball.

But playing - that is a whole new art

that we are trying to teach him.

This is best exemplified from Kofi's visit to his Grandma and Grandpa.

His grandparents live in Wyoming,

in the country,

in a cabin on the river.

It is good old fashioned hard work that keeps things moving where they live.

While Kofi was there, several tons of sand were delivered.

This was to be laid down to prevent huge pits in their driveway.

Grandpa and Grandma were going to take their time in laying it just right.

As they worked, Kofi jumped right in!

(working hard to lay the sand)

After some time of working, and when a break was due, the Grandparents took a break and told Kofi to just play in the sand.

Yet, he continued to work.

Grandpa gave him a matchbox car and told Kofi to play with it in the sand. Kofi seemed to be baffled as to what to do. So Grandpa and Grandma had to show him how to make roads and buildings, and to drive this little toy car and
just play.

After some time, Kofi started to catch on.

Yet, it still took
encouragement

over the period of a several days to get Kofi to "let go" and

just play.

And as Grandparents do,

they SPOILED him.

They bought him more matchbox cars, gave him some butcher paper to draw his own roads, gave him large buttons to use as buildings,

and now

Kofi and Sufi

FIGHT

over it all!!

We really are a NORMAL family!

Here are some more shots of Kofi's visit to his grandparents.

While he was there they really did spoil him with individual attention and taking him to see the wonders that the West has.

Cowboys and Indians.

Pioneers.

Wildlife.

such as deer, moose, mountain lions, eagles, and buffalo.

Dinosaurs.

Museums.

Sledding.

Snow.

Water aquariums.

Libraries.

Adventures in living off the land.

He LOVED it.

This is Kofi seeing Buffalo for the first time.

He had been told over and over that they were these huge animals.

He saw one lying down and scoffed,

"They aren't so big."

Then it stood up and his eyes grew and grew!

Can you guess what he is doing here?

Yup!

Riding a horse as he once was promised he would do.

Okay, so not a horse - but a mule counts...

Doesn't it?

He doesn't know the difference!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for teaching Kofi so very much!!!