Upstairs/downstairs

We used to keep anywhere from a third to about half of the resident toy population downstairs in the family room. It started that way when D was little, and the only. We'd spend a lot of the day downstairs, since our family room and kitchen are one, big open space. And as D got bigger and along came G, we kept toys down there so there were things to paly with downstairs and things to play with upstairs as well - lessening the need for me to lift D over baby gates and make endless trips up and down to find suitable entertainment if I was busy downstairs. I'd planned to keep the toy arrangements that way until Miss E is old enough that the baby gates are finally history, but recently decided the poor third kid will just have to live in a world where toys are kept upstairs. To be fair, I do have a small basket of baby toys, as well as one of those little baby play gyms (a pink one!) in the family room for her. But the rest of the toys have homes in the playroom or the boys' room. And I LOVE it that way.

The boys appear to be having a harder time adjusting to the new arrangements. I don't forbid toys downstairs; especially when I'm doing things like cook dinner, I don't mind if they bring things down to play with. Not that they couldn't play upstairs while I'm busy in the kitchen, but these kids follow me around like little ducks. You'd think I'm their mother or something.... In any case, some days I have a hard time convincing them to go play upstairs, even when I join them.

This afternoon we had snack time, and then I announced that it was time to go upstairs and play. This was met with a resounding "Noooooo!" from both boys, in matching whiney voices. I looked around the room and back at them again. "Why not? All your toys are upstairs. What do you want to do down here?"

"Play!" my five year old answered. Um, play with what?

After some more cajoling, I finally convinced them to go upstairs. I don't get it. Other than watching movies or playing the occassional round of Lego Star Wars, what does the downstairs offer that is so appealing? D likes to run around bouncing on my exercise ball, but even that has to lose it's luster after a while. Why on earth don't they scramble upstairs to play - especially when I'm going up there too? Heck, they follow me into the bathroom with their toys while I shower, or into E's room and set up camp with cars and army men all over her floor as I change a diaper. But the transition from downstairs to upstairs is strangely difficult. It makes no sense to me.

About two minutes after we finally got upstairs, they were already running around like banshees having the time of their lives while Miss E happily jumped in her jumperoo. Today's games consisted of a hybrid basketball/football/baseball combo, featuring a hoop, a basketball, a football and a sword (which was apparently the bat); and later, running around shirtless, beating each other with nerf swords (have I mentioned how much fun it is to parent brothers?).

Now what was so bad about going upstairs to play?