The Games Toddlers Play

One of the coolest things about the last couple of months has been pretend play. Aiden will "cook" with me and loves to fill his dump truck with "sugar and coffee" when we're in the sandbox. At night, during dinner, he wants us to pretend the food is a car that goes over the Golden Gate Bridge through the Rainbow Tunnel (his mouth). He takes his food along the same path even when he feeds himself.

Aiden invented another game called "Baby Tiger". He comes in, close enough to touch noses and says "Hi baby tiger". When he says that, it means that he's a baby tiger and I'm the mama tiger. I say "Hi baby tiger" back to him, really excited like I'm meeting him after a million years and then I get to hug him. The animal changes but he seems to like being a baby tiger more than any other.

"Minivan" is another popular game. When we're lying down he'll sit on us or have us curl around him, am arm is the car door and he like to open and close it. For some reason, I'm always the minivan in this game.

I keep asking him, Aiden, can I be the Beemer?

No Beemer....Minivan.

Aiden, today can I be the Porsche?

No Porsche.....Minivan.

How did I get to be the minivan? I'm not sure I like being the minivan. I think we've found a compromise. He does let me be a convertable and I can live with that.