Imagination

My friend Kathleen posted yesterday about kids and non-toys. After I'd commented about her post I got to thinking about Ryan and his imagination. He really has a good imagination. It's so much fun lately.

The most fun part of him being imaginative is that he tells these great stories. If you ask him a question, like, "Ryan, what did you do today?" The answers can be so funny and so very made up. He'll say things like he went on a plane ride and flew really high in the sky. He'll say he ate pizza or went to the park. None of it's true, but it's funny to think that he can make up these stories. Part of it is his new found use of three and four word sentences. He's just practicing language.

Sometimes he'll look out the window and tell me that Adam is home from work, when there's no car outside at all. He'll tell me he's seen a mouse in the house. That it's hiding under the table.

I love to watch him make up games. We're currently using HUGE puzzle pieces for roads to drive his cars on. We can make tunnels out of paper towel tubes. We make airplanes and trains out of Duplo pieces or play-doh. The options really are endless.

Of course, we don't encourage him to tell us lies, but we do encourage him to use his imagination. To pretend. After all, we can't buy every toy he wants or tells me he needs.

One part of his use of language that is also part of him imaging things is him telling us things are too hot, too cold, too far away or too heavy. He tells us these things to get out of doing them. For example, breakfast is too hot because he doesn't want sausages and eggs, he wants cookies. The milk is too cold because he'd rather some soda. The trash is too far away because he'd rather leave his napkin on the floor or table rather than put it where it needs to go. And the one little bag with felt in it from the craft store is too heavy because not only am I supposed to carry Tim, the bag and the diaper bag, I am also supposed to carry Ryan because it's too cold outside (the too cold outside part is true).

I hope he always has a great imagination and is good at pretend play. It's fun watching him grow and develop his imagination and his use of language.