After I arrived home from work, Jay headed out to the gym. Caroline demanded that we "craft" (her word) with Play-Doh. Despite my willingness to comply, I was evidently lacking in skill. When my attempts to fashion a teddy bear were failing to meet expectations, she threw up a defiant hand and said, "Mommy, you wait here. I'm going to get my Ernie book. I'll be back in a second, ok?"
Upon her return, the girl pointed to a bear in her book about Ernie's (from Sesame Street) bedtime routine. "Make a bear like this one, Mommy, " my sculpting coach implored. With appropriate creative direction, I was indeed able to fashion an acceptable bear. (I'm a little shocked that my 3-yr. old is instinctively proficient at conceptualizing, elucidating, and sharing her vision while not micro-managing the creative process...) And then I hand-crafted a baby complete with arms and legs and eyes a nose. At my child's behest, I also made them special blankets of Play-Doh, of course. (Because EVERYTHING in this house needs to be covered by a blanket these days - we really need to get some pictures up of the Popsicle sticks covered in tissues...)
It was at this time that the real games* could begin. Caroline and I took turns playing "mommy" to my works of art. Mommy would hop in the car** and drive*** to the fair**** while "Grandma" (played by not-mommy) would care for the blanketed baby and bear. When "mommy came back from the fair", Caroline was always interested to find out how her baby and bear behaved while she was "out". I was most concerned about finding Caroline's unfortunate charges' missing arms and legs before they mashed into the floor.
I took this all to mean that Caroline clearly trusts her grandmas to watch her when I'm not around, but that they must love her so much that they hug her rather violently and occasionally pop off her limbs.***** And also, mommies like to go to fairs by themselves.
A good time was had by all. Especially me. It was super sweet to see Caroline pretending to be a babysitting grandma.
*As you might have guessed, this game was completely created in the mind of Caroline.
**Hop in the car = sit on one of Jay's sneakers
***Drive = make car noises while sitting on said sneaker
****Fair = walking around the kitchen pretending to play carny games and eat fried Oreos.
*****I'm clearly kidding about the inadvertent limb removal. At least on Caroline's grandmas' parts.
posted by Cheryl @ 8:47 PM
3 Comments:
wait. fried oreos? do those exist? is that a southern thing? here's something... in the UK, the random frying of things takes place up NORTH (thing Yorkshire and on up into Scotland). Where they batter and deep-fry snickers and apparently even pizza.
I have not sampled either.
Maybe it's an elaborate lie. "Let's tell the American that we eat these battered and fried to gross her out."
I have some many thoughts, and so little time. here are a few:
1) Fried Oreos: It IS possible to make them worse for you.
2) I would like to go to the fair alone. I would like to go most anywhere alone.
3) Are you REALLY sure Caroline's grandmas aren't popping off her limbs? ;)
4) If you are sure, maybe they should babysit more often. You can obviously go away for extended periods without any guilt at all!
I'm surprized Caroline didn't conjure up Timmy and Smarty from her genetic memory.
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