Playing Pretend

Playing worker

Isaac has been wanting to act out a childbirth scenario every night before he goes to sleep. His inspiration was a video that Jeremy's brother took when Isaac was one day old and I was in an excited happy tizzy about Isaac's entry into the world. In the video I tell a story about how during some of my most intense labor, Jeremy happened to be making a sandwich. He would make it for a while, and then when I needed him, he would come and stand in front of me. I would grab his legs with all the strength in me and he would rub my back. That was going ok, until a contraction started and he told me, "Sorry sweetie, I have avacado on my hands and I need to wash it off first." I yelled back, "I don't care!!!!! I NEED YOU!!!"

That's what Isaac likes to act out, except that I don't grab his legs. Our "pretend" ends with me giving birth, and handing the baby to him to admire. He then takes the baby with him into his sleeping bag and tells me, "It's okay mommy. I'll give him milk and Bengal Spice [tea]"

The thing is, childbirth is just one small aspect of playing pretend. He used to have his own imaginary friends, and still does - the funniest lately is bad guy "Dufuserny", but now he has made me the human embodiment of many of his dearest. I am now Madlenka, a little girl who inexplicably drives and cooks dinner. I'm her friend Cleopatra, who has many of her same advanced qualities. I'm Doctor B., who puts casts on both his legs before breakfast(!). I'm sleeping beauty, and I'm mommy. Often with the exception of the doctor, who "spends a lot of time at her office.", I'm all of them at once and have conversations with myself.

"Hi little boy!", "Hi!" "Who are you!?", "I dunno anymore!"