Connor plays with gravity and inertia

One thing that the boys' very clever mother has learned to tap into is the power of novelty. This doesn't mean buying them new things all the time, but rather that the well-timed re-introduction of a toy can be very effective and bring much joy to all parties, alleviating some of the "I'm bored!" comments that drive parents nuts. Lately we've pulled out matchbox cars to some good effect, for instance. This is nice for us too because it brings back the old days when we would watch Connor send cars down a ramp for hours at a time.

But Sarah scored a real success last week in bringing out the marble run blocks from the closet. Connor has been playing with them constantly ever since. We are frequently (every 2-3 minutes in some cases) called upon to look at his creations and marvel at his skill in manipulating the effects of gravity. Here he is describing one of his more elaborate setups to date: