The Duplicator

If you would say that this is just a normal Amazon cardboard box, you would be sorely mistaken.  Behold, the Duplicator!  Also known as activity that kept the attention of both boys for the 5 solid hours between church and our Super bowl party Sunday.

Will invented this “machine” that can duplicate things.  Even people!  We had to refer to our kids as “real Will” or “copy Will,” accordingly.  We also had to do things like direct “real Cole” to find where “copy Cole” had gone to. 

All we could hear all day was new schemes and celebrations of yet another successful duplication!  Rich and I were careful to speak as little as possible to them so as not to unbalance whatever it is that aligned for this unmatched duration of harmonious play between them. IT. WAS. AWESOME.

Now, Will would have Cole put a toy in the Duplicator and then ask him to fetch something or look at something while he did a little special tap on the box (thus, activating the duplication process) and secretly slip another, similar toy in next to it.  It was a cute system they were in on.

But then today, after preschool, Cole went right into the playroom to the Duplicator while I started lunch.  I heard toys dumping, and tapping on the box, and finally he came out rather melancholy.  When asked what was wrong, Cole replied, “Nothing.  Just the Duplicator isn’t working today.”

That’s right.  The game I thought they were both in on was real to him.  You know when your kid’s naiveté all of the sudden wakes you up and reminds you just how “kid” he is?  Yeah, that.