P's Puzzles

Much cleaner than painting, markers, or practically any other art project. The only risk factor involves not letting Little Brother eat the pieces.

 P loves puzzles. I think it started with the alphabet puzzle he received for his second birthday. But no, that's not true: before that he received a wood, twelve-piece puzzle of four big boy machines (bulldozers and stuff) from his Grandma O that he LOVED. And three cardboard, four-piece animal puzzles that had interested him before that (also from Grandma O). And then it just exploded when he opened the cardboard, twenty-four-piece Mater puzzle at Christmas (ALSO from Grandma and Grandpa O)! We knew it was serious when he woke up the next morning and spent the first forty-five minutes of his day putting it together. By himself. While Papa and I dozed (we thought he had fallen back asleep). We should have taken a picture of that! Alas, we did not. But have no fear--here's a montage of P putting together puzzles over the last few months. He's a beast!

This U.S. puzzle is a huge favorite, thanks to P's "Fifty Nifty" fixation. And yes, he can name every state. He also likes to inform us during meals what his bitten-into food looks like: "Hey! It's Michigan!"

Me: "Smile for the camera, Buddy!" P: This.

You can't lose with Cars puzzles! This is a forty-eight-piece puzzle. The numbers keep climbing...

We've reached the one-hundred-piece stage. This one he can almost complete by himself now. It took a lot of "collaboration" first. I honestly think he memorizes where the pieces go after he's put the things together enough.

"I did it!"

P received a new puzzle in the mail today from Grandma E. Grandmas, if P becomes some sort of puzzle prodigy, you get the credit! I did most of the work, but P watched me and "helped," and put in the last dozen or so pieces by himself. Oh, and as soon as he pulled out the box he had to line up his other puzzles to... keep us company? He's like a walking advertisement for Pixar.

Thanks, Buzz. You're a real pal.