All Grown Up, Pretend -style

Our imaginative little girl is often telling stories, making up songs, or helping her dolls talk to each other. And lately Eva's enjoyed playing very specific role-playing games with me. While she still likes to be a baby bird/monkey/llama/any animal, she also likes to pretend that she's the mommy. The game usually entails her calling me "sweetie" a lot, reminding me to eat vegetables, and teaching me to not be afraid of shadows (which you could say is a funny commentary on my parenting, but I digress...)  This morning she wanted to play being the mommy, and she directed that we have a "camp out" (blanket picnic) in her room near the "cave" (dark bedroom), and she helped teach me my "letters" (pointed out objects in the room and told me how to say those words.) The upside is that the baby (me) usually gets lots of hugs, clear instructions on what to do, and lots of encouragement when I do a simple task right. Where does she learn this stuff?Hee hee...

One of my favorite playing grown-up stories happened this past weekend when we spent a couple days at a cabin with my parents on their anniversary. We had two fold-able chairs out on the deck set up next to each other, and Eva came over to me and pointing at the chairs, said, "Let's sit down and say our news." I asked, "Do you mean share our news? Like talk to each other?" "YEAH!" she exclaimed, and jumped into a chair. I was curious to see what this game was, so I turned to her and said, "So, what is your news?"  And she said, "Well, we are both ladies, and we have a lot of news. I have many children, and they are doing fine. Did you see them?" She then went on to make up names for her - get this - 18 children, and tell me how she loved them and how busy they were doing fun things together.  Then my three year old turns to me, with a totally serious face, and asks, "So what is your news? How are your children?"  Apparently she's seen me sitting with my friends outside, swapping our news about our children and catching up (I am mainly thinking of you, Kate D!)  Not a bad idea for what to do when you see two chairs outside and you need to catch up with someone about your 18 children!           

Quoteable

Tonight, while watching Sesame Street before bedtime, Eva called out, "Daddy! Daddy!" with some urgency.

Peter: "Yes honey, what is wrong?"


Eva: "Daddy, but I don't have any fuh!"
Peter: "You don't have any what?"
Eva: "But I don't HAVE any FUH!" (said with increasing concern)
Peter: "Any what honey?"
Eva: "I DON'T HAVE ANY FUH-R!"
Peter: "Ooohh, FUR. I think they want you to just pretend you have fur, Eva."



Apparently the monsters on tv were asking the kids to mess up their fur along with them; and Eva didn't have any fur and so couldn't play along.  

I just stopped laughing... right about... now. :) 

Fave Games of Late

So Eva's got quite the imagination, as you may know. Two of her favorite games lately reflect this - and they crack me up, so I want to remember them here. :)

The first game is a copying game of sorts - she usually starts by positioning her hands in some funny shape, or holding them like she is praying, and then turns to me or Peter and says, "Do this, do this!" After we mimic her, she changes her expression, moves her hands around, and then says, "ok, ok, ok, now do THIS!" It usually involves clapping, looking out windows in the car, holding onto ears/knees/cheeks, and other various motions she can come up with and make us follow. She inevitably is struck with glee at some point during the game and laughs her head off that we are following her - which, really, is a valid point. We DO look pretty silly. :)

The second game is an outgrowth of normal pretend play with her dolls/toys/utensils/anything she decides to pretend with. (At breakfast the small and large *fork* were a mommy and a baby.) The dolls/forks/whatever almost always want to go to sleep, they get tired, they snore, and then the wake up! Which always seems magical to Eva! Then, the pretend characters usually want to "go off somewhere," are often "busy," or are going to find "friends to play together with." It's a whole intricate plot line, seriously. The frequently with which Eva starts these relational, creative and funny little games astounds me though; she does them probably 50 times a day, by herself and with others, at home and at church/nursery/friend's houses, and never seems to tire of them. I think she is replaying interactions and feelings she is living in her own little way, and its fascinating for me to see how her mind and heart applies that growing wisdom to, say, her fork.

Also, a recent favorite to animate with these storylines - our "matching" freckles. Both Eva and I have a freckle on the top of our left hand and she never tires of having them talk to each other, kiss each other, play with each other, and "go off to sleep" together. :) Just glancing at that little freckle on my hand now makes me smile.