snow mattress

 Nicholas has a snow tube. He calls it a "snow mattress."
He's never actually used it to sled with.  (He has slept in it a few times.)
Maybe this winter we'll give sledding a try.

He found it in the closet last week, pulled it out and helped me fill it with air.
For a whole week, he and Ellie fought over who got to sit in it.  

On Monday I finally broke down and bought Ellie her own "mattress."
Best $9.99 I've ever spent.

 They have played with these things non stop since Monday morning.  We're talking hours-at-a-time chunks of happy, getting-along, imaginative playing.  (If you have multiple young children, you know how miraculous this is.)

My favorite snow mattress game?  They turned it into a bunk bed.  (Nicholas's idea.)  
They lay, stacked like that, and pretend to sleep. 
Then they're happy and quiet.  Like I said,
best toy ever.