The Castle

Eleanor has a new favorite toy. (Thanks Linda and Alec!) I thought she might only like the Haba Dragonstone Castle (with inhabitants) so-so because I thought it was so ridiculously cute, which is usually how things work. The castle and it's inhabitants, a knight, princess and dragon, are made of nice colorful cloth. The castle has many cool features -- a little bee that buzzes back and forth along a string, a little chicken attached by a piece of elastic that sits in a pocket, mirrors, a window and best of all the door, which fastens with Velcro.



Eleanor's love of the castle borders on obsession. Every morning or after her nap since Wednesday, she has grabbed the castle and said "pay dis" (translation: play with this) and then after we have it set up she says "nah doo, mah womwam" (translation: make the man and woman knock on the door). For hours on end we have made the little man and woman knock on and then go through. Sometimes we vary the game a bit and the man and woman dance or give each other a little kiss, but mostly they just knock on and go through the door.



We have another Haba toy, the Dream Journey, which is a little car with three little men/women in it. Eleanor has had this since she was younger but never really loved it. She is now using the little car as a bed for the man and woman and the wheels from the car for the bedside lamps.

So, I wanted to add this one to the list of favorites right away!