L is daughter, age 4.75. She is holding tiny unicorn rubber figure. E is son, age 6.5. He is holding a tiny rubber dragon figure.  E is using magnatiles to create a massive “squishee hotel” for his tiny figures which he calls “squishees.”  L is using magnatiles to create a “hot air balloon” on the couch.

E:  Unicorns don’t have homes.

L:  I know.  She’s going to live in a hot air balloon…  (Keeps building.)  And look.  There’s a car.  A flying car!

E:  (Keeps building.) They can’t get in now.  But see, the dragon’s going to fly up and get the key from the inside, so the squishees can come in… But I’m serious.  Last chance.  Does your unicorn want a home?

L:  Can you please stop asking me?  No.  I ‘m making it for her now.

E:  It’s too bad, your unicorn won’t have any food. Because she just has to stay in the sky.

L:  No, but she has a flying car. (Magnatile flies through air.  Crash. Giggles.)

E:  (Points to magnatiles near L.) Can I use these?

L:  No.

E:  But they’re not yours.

(L ignores him and keeps working.  E wanders over to look at L’s structure.)

E:  It doesn’t look like a balloon to me.  It looks like an antenna.

L:  Well, it looks like a balloon to me.

E:  Well if it’s a balloon then it’s going to get smashed like a balloon.

L: (Ignores this remark.)  I need more squares.

E:  Well you can’t use any of mine.

(A few minutes later.  E has moved on to tossing a small throw pillow in the air, trying to hit the ceiling…)

E:   Mommy, 12,000 points!  I hit the light  2 times.

(A few minutes later.  L stands by E’s “hotel”, holding her unicorn figure.)

L:  Can I come in your hotel?

E:  (Walks toward her.) Let me show you how to come in.

(L starts lifting a magnatile off of the side of the building.)

E:  That’s not how you get in.  That’s the battleship part.

(Later.  Both kids building own structures.)

L:  E, I found more squares for you!!

E:  (Not looking up from his building.)  Great! Put ’em near my stack!

(Later.  L is kneeling near “hotel” and E holding up unicorn figure.)

L:  (In a baby voice to dragon figure.)  I want to be close to you.

E:  Are you sure you want your room to be closer to me?

L:  Yes.

E:  Okay!

(E rearranges squares while L prances her unicorn in the air singing her own made-up “change music.”)

L:  Da dada dada da da daaa

E:  Here’s our rooms.  They’re next to each other.  And there’s a space here for us to go in between.  And I’m going to protect you.  Here, put your unicorn inside.  It’s time for bed.