Check Mate

When Andy sleeps longer than the Big Boys at naptime, I sometimes let them take out toys I don't usually let them play with. These toys have many small parts that refuse to stay on the table and that smaller boys love to pop into their little mouths. One of these toys is a "10 Games in One!" box, with multiple boards and tiny little marbles and discs and, oddly enough, wooden sprinkles.

Nick loved to play with "the marbles" and asks for them a lot, but I refuse a lot, simply because each time we dig out the box twenty little parts fall to the floor and get missed in the clean up. But it's been so snowy and yucky that I actually pulled it out. While Nick played with the marbles, Nate plucked out the chess pieces and asked me to play with him.

"I don't remember how to play," I confessed. But I set up the board and told him the names of the pieces, and how they moved (if I remembered it.) I also told him that to win, you had to capture the other person's king.

"This is the king." Nate said, pointing to his king. I nodded. "And this is my queen." He pointed to his queen. Then he reached over and pointed to my royal couple. "That's your king, and that's your queen."

Satisfied that he understood, I turned to fold laundry while he played. "No! Mommy, play with me!" he shouted. "I can't, I don't remember how!" I said. But Nate would have none of it. He scrambled toward me, halfway over the table, pleading, "Please, play chess with me, Mommy! Play this game!"

And looking down he snatched up a piece. "I got your king! You Loose!"