Wed/Thursday: Feeling like Fall and Playing Cars

Winter is a brutal combination for P. His clothes must be uber-soft, seamless and loose or he positively will not put them on. (For those naive enough to think this is something that can be forced with a strong 2 year old, I assure you it cannot. I adamantly disagree with any manhandling, but exasperated E tried once and found out it does not work.) Last winter P was still short on explanations and I didn't understand why we needed to stay inside for the entire season lolling about naked. What, having 18 layers on and scratchy wool is a problem for you? The kid in "The Christmas Story" got on just fine without moving his arms! On the warmer days we would venture to the playground, me bundled and P barely covered, layers in tow. Eventually, lips blue and limbs trembling, he would request a whole shirt. Frigid days might even procure a hat, but that's that. Our stroller, thank gawd, has a bunting bag. New to this midwesterner, its basically a sleeping bag for your kid to snuggle in while he is pushed in his pram. Needless to say, P spent most of the winter (when we weren't in the house!) cozy in a diaper and T shirt inside this bag, E and I staring in envy as we braved the chill, sans sack.

After spending the last two days indoors hibernating (sure, it rained yesterday but the day before was beautiful!) I was determined to get into the sun before winter locks us in again. I love my child. I do. I think I'm even one of those cloying mothers that grins like a cheshire cat at their kid while others are rolling their eyes. And I really don't mind being locked in a small space with him - he's fun to hang with. But locked in a small space on a sunny day while he is going through a car phase nearly kills me. "Do Sally, do Sally! MAMA!!!! Do Sally!!!!"

But I don't know what to DO with Sally.

I realize now that when I played cars with my brother I designed tracks and we raced for speed. But P treats his cars like I treated my stuffed animals. He talks with them, tells them stories. The other day he was discussing his plans with one. "Let's go to the playground. Oh, okay. Mama gonna come along? Oh, how nice, I love mom." When they get hurt he cradles them and carries them around rocking them in his arms. He's nursed his cars, napped with his cars and shared favorite foods with his cars. But when he requests my participation there is suddenly some plot I am supposed to be privy to - one that I never get quite right.

I believe said plot is from the movie Cars. Cute film to be sure and it surely saved us when he had the flu, twice. Until recently I'd prescribed to the movie/toy combo seems to kill creativity group. When he plays with his other cars they save grandpapa and fall off of cliffs and other inventions of his mind. When he wants me to play with his prized Pixar cars he tries to stay true to the movie and it just seems so much more ... limiting. Ethan argues that it provides new story-lines. Granted, the play-doh "Cozy (caution) Cone" motel rooms Were Pixar inspired. He's also fixated on his Sheriff car giving other cars tickets for speeding. Story-line inspired by the movie? Yes. But have you ever pretended to get a ticket 35 times in a row before? And right about the time I was ready to totally condemn DVD's I realized we get chased by his imaginary monster daily and there is nary more plot to that play either.

So maybe it isn't the movie that is limiting, maybe its the 2 year old's brain. And maybe its me. While I get bored with his routine play plots, rehearsing that routine probably makes him feel like he knows what's going to happen in a world where he rarely understands future events. After 2 days straight of car play and lots of worrying I realized I can't get past their wheels. Its hard for me to see them as more than cars; good for racing, crashing and fancy driving. Meanwhile, for P, they are so much more, with well defined (if not fairly flat) personalities and purposes. So I've decided that I'll try introducing his Monster Doll or Pegasus into the Car's realm next time - to cure My mind's limits. Combined with some softer winter clothes and that sack, maybe my sanity will be saved this winter season. And as difficult for me as it is with all of the research out there, his DVD collection is saved for another day too...