Annalee tells a story...

If I had to decide which of my children was more creative or better at imaginative play I would have to say Annalee. Ryan has always been far more concerned with concrete things, tangible toys and activities that involved realism. He can imagine with the best of them, it is just not the activity of preference in a Ryan-only world.

Annalee on the other hand is quite the pretender. She talks to her "guys" every night when she puts them to bed. She lines each of the up on the pillows and tucks them in like any good momma would, and then laughs when she asks herself... wait, where is MY spot? She cooks in a pretend kitchen, and has a dance show for imaginary people at least once a day... but my favorite imaginary Annalee activity is when she tells me a story.

It is hard to get her to do it, because in her own words she is "not very good at reading books," but if I encourage her enough I can get her to tell me one of the common nursery rhymes that I have been telling the kids for years. Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks...you know the list. The ones that you just don't need a book to recite.

When I do get her to tell ME a story though, I can expect for it to be an Annalee original adaptation. She just embellishes and changes it enough to suit her and it is incredible.

Yesterday I asked her to tell ME a story at naptime. We were on the couch, and I thought if she told me a story she might give in to the temptation of sleepy time. What happened though was a page right out of a funny-mom-story book, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Me: Please tell me a story Annalee.

A: I can't momma. You have to do it, I am not very good at reading books.

Me: But you can tell me a story from your memory. You don't have to read a book.

A: OK! There was a pig, he was very afraid of the big big big bad bad wolf. He built a house out of flowers. The big big big bad bad wolf came over and knocked on the door and told the pig to let him in. Piggy said no there is hair on my chinny chin chin. So the wolf, he is SCARY.. . said I'll puff, and I will puff, and I will puff, and I will BLOWWWW your house down. (blowing)


When the house blowed down, the piggy ran to the other house made of bricks.  BIGGGGGG strong brick.  You can't blow a house down with biiiiiig brick.  Three pigs in the brick house were afraid of the wolf, but he could not blow it down with the hair on the chin so the pigs ate lunch and laughed at the big wolf because he could not get in.

I was almost asleep, thinking that my girl had conjured up a decent story.  I was hoping she would sleep too, right up until I felt her put a piece of dry cereal in my ear and then whisper into it... "Momma, WAKE UP!  It is not Momma nap time, it is YOUR turn for stories!"

So much for that nap!