Pretend Play

Ellie Bear is demonstrating a lot more pretend play recently.  For a long while, she had been keen on borrowing Andrew's tennis shoes and my teal sport bra (clean!) while tromping about the house.  Her dressing up adventures have evolved into shoe thievery at both the gym's day care and at indoor playscapes.  Ellie sometimes forgoes all of the climbing and sliding to "try on" the various shoes left behind by the other children.  Apparently, those shoe cubbies that house other children's shoes serve as Ellie's own personal shoe closet.  Sparkle shoes are her favorite. As are crocs.  In fact, her buddy Jack graciously allowed her to borrow his old blue crocs which are still a few sizes too big.  These crocs have been slept in and have received a bath.  As you can see, wearing these ridiculous blue rubber things go very nicely with footy pajamas.  

Perhaps the most exciting show of pretend play came last week after Ellie said "EEEEE" while signing "eat".  As I gathered items for her snack, I turned and discovered that her large stuffed bear, her one-eared sock monkey (mama bear didn't do so good of a job sewing Mr. Sock Monkey), and the two blankies were sitting at the table with her.  It lasted all of 30 seconds.  Just long enough for me to quickly snap a photo. A little Bearity-Bear tea party.  Er, I should say a water party because she drowned the stuffed bear with water from her sippy cup.  I never placed the animals at the mini IKEA table before.  Ellie did this all on her own and it was amazing.  Unlike so many other developmental aspects, this just came naturally for her.  I am a proud mama bear.