Imagine the Possibilities

From a very young age, the baby of our family has displayed an extremely active imagination. Maladjusted child or creative genius? You be the judge.

She loves to role play and pretend she’s someone else. Yesterday she asked that I call her “Anna” (not her real name) all afternoon because she was a teenage girl who goes to our church. She wouldn’t answer to her own name, but she acted so much more mature than a four-year-old that I didn’t mind. In fact, I’m not opposed to legally changing her name if it will improve her behavior. Anna does have a nice ring to it.

After visiting her aunt and observing the way she takes care of her baby (our girls’ cousin), our daughter began bathing her dolls in the play kitchen sink and bringing them along in the car in little baby carriers. Thank goodness she stopped short of trying to breastfeed – our youngest was so impressed with this amazing discovery at Christmas that she exclaimed, “Let me go get my Daddy – he’s got to see this!”

Our youngest llama also enjoys dressing up. The other day she put on a Tinkerbell dress – an old Halloween costume – and announced that she only wears that particular outfit to proms and funerals. Since she’s never been to either, I was surprised she even knew the terms. And on another recent occasion, she came out in a long blond wig and Dora the Explorer light blue baseball cap. She said she was Hannah Montana, but I would have bet the farm that she was impersonating Garth (Dana Carvey’s character) from Wayne’s World. Not her best look.

Then there are her imaginary friends, Owie (pronounced O-E) and Anie (A-Nee). Nothing delusional like in A Beautiful Mind – just sweet childhood creativity at work. But it is frustrating at times when our daughter won’t get out of the bathtub until you’ve cleaned Owie and Anie, too. At least her imaginary friends are less violent than her Uncle Mark’s were when he was young. Chebby used to die horrible deaths – usually involving railroad accidents – which my brother would recount each night at the dinner table. Good times.

Anyway, I am hoping that one day our little one will be able to channel all of this imagination and creativity into something productive, like becoming a famous actress. Then I’ll be able to look back on all the llama drama and chalk it up to professional development.

And just so you know, I DO expect her to thank me during her acceptance speech at the Oscars. Along with Owie and Anie.