Will you play with me?

Very neat color mixing. Elise
would have had it all the way
up her arms by now.

When the question is asked by a cheery, hopeful three-year-old, looking up at you with big brown eyes, there's only one answer: of course I do! Even if dinner is burning on the stove. Even if she was melting down about the color of her cup earlier in the day. Even if planning one more birthday party for Biscuit might put you over the top. Yes, Naomi, let's play!

And then, off you go. You might do circle time (the bread and butter of preschools) with a group of stuffed animals, asking them each their favorite color. Or create a birthday tea party picnic on the floor. Or draw endless people and animals (usually family members and stuffie family members) until either she's satisfied, or the drawing doesn't live up to her standards and playtime crumbles into a pile of accusations (you didn't draw it right!).

Yes, this is all very elementary, but it's not without its actual amusements (other than spending time with sweet Naomi, of course). For one, it's fun to watch her draw. Not only is her pencil grip beyond reach of many kindergarteners (and has been for years), but she concentrates so heavily, bending nearly double over the paper and taking every stroke seriously. Sometimes too seriously, driving herself to perfection far beyond her 3-year-old capabilities (or Mommy's 30-something capabilities). As frustrating as that is for both of us, it's not without its sweetness, as she then cuts, shreds, scribbles or crumples her paper into oblivion, and then shoves the remains into the trash can or as far back under the couch as she can reach (so, not too far).

Naomi wore the fawn mask
all evening, even at dinner,
pretending to be sisters with
her deer, Annie.

Most of the time, she confidently turns swirls and amorphous shapes into actual figures (something her big sisters didn't do until they were Elise's current age, Kalina preferring me to do all her drawing for her and Elise preferring to see what scribbles looked like on the paper), adding eyes, noses and frowns, as well as bodies and limbs. I'm trying not to read too much into the frown thing. Fortunately, many of those frowns have been turned upside down since I taught her to do smiles--but not all of them. Why???

Of course, there's quite a bit to learn when you play with Naomi. Her posse of stuffed animals usually includes a dog family, a fawn, and a few other random ones. She likes to dress up as Princess Sofia, but it's important to know that Sofia's sister, Amber, is mean. Sometimes she's nice, but she definitely started out mean. For some reason this is of paramount importance and we make reference to it all the time.

Naomi enjoys pretending, so sometimes I get to be an owner while she's a baby puppy or a baby bunny or a baby fawn. Occasionally I'm her mommy and I'm taking her to a pet shop to pick out any pets she wants (this is fun because it's something I actually want to do in real life). Sometimes she's the big sister for her baby doll, and I'm the mommy. Occasionally she's a crying baby who needs to be picked up. And fairly often, she's a princess. Sometimes a little too much of one:

Me: "Oops, Naomi, you knocked that off the table. Once you pick it up, we can keep drawing."
Naomi, very rationally: "But Mommy, I'm a princess, and princesses have servants."

Naturally, I explained to her that princesses still have to do things for themselves, but she wasn't at all convinced until I cited an example or two from her princess books. She complied, but I get the impression that she only did it because Princess Grace did. Even then, she wrestled with the question, in a very logical, and not explosive, state of mind, for the next couple of days.

"Mommy, why do servants cook princesses their dinner?" She's just about got me on that one--the inconsistencies are evident, and it's certainly a slippery slope from cooking dinner for princesses to cleaning up their messes. If Naomi keeps the princess phase going until her teen years, we may be in trouble.

Naomi made a Valentine
decoration!

Of course, Naomi knows that in many princess stories and fairy tales we find mean stepmothers and stepsisters, wolves, foxes and other creatures that mean harm. She always hopes they're only pretend:

"Mommy, are wolves in this world?" she asks, worriedly. "Mommy, are monsters in this world?" "Mommy, are stepmothers in this world?" Um, I hope not for you...

We have a lot of little games we play as well: for instance, I always forget how to turn off the lamp in her room. We try all types of buttons, but only Naomi can find the one that actually works. Or, occasionally I "run out" of Naomi and have to find more of her in the pantry (where she almost fits quite nicely!).

I think our favorite playtime, though, has to be when the big sisters are out at their Friday classes. We gleefully escape home to bake together (with tastes), paint, do special craft projects, ask and answer lots of questions, do lots of circle time and read stories, all on Naomi's terms and uninterrupted. It's during this time when Naomi's personality shines the most: sweet, and yet serious (and a little silly, of course).

Which is why when Naomi asks, "Will you play with me?" the answer just has to be yes!

Two new posts in one day?!? Yes. Don't miss the one about what Elise has been up to, below.

Made from scratch, by Elise

Elise has long been interested in chemistry. To her, this chiefly consists of mixing things--baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, you name it.

Lately, however, she's combined this hobby with two others: treats and rock climbing, so that at any point when I come into the kitchen I might find her perched busily on top of the counter, reaching for the marshmallows so she can add them to a milky, floury, sugary concoction in a bowl next to her. A sprinkle of Cheerio dust, a pinch of salt and a good mix later, and we have the makings for a cake! Dessert for tonight!

How does Elise create her confections? First, she thinks of a few key ingredients: oats, flour, sugar and milk are staples, as well as candy hearts left over from Valentine's Day, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Usually she likes to add some kind of fruit as well, and perhaps a drizzling of honey.

Then, she makes a recipe card out of construction paper and writes her ingredients and any other instructions. She notes common measurements she's seen me use, and writes down a baking temperature of 350, usually for about 12 minutes. For example:

Mini Cupcakes (spelling all hers)
1 cup shoger
1 cup flawer
1/4 millk
1 cup chopped up strawberries
a drisling fo Hony

And frosting, of course.

I believe when we actually made this recipe, we cut the sugar and flour down to 1/4 cup, and we added a pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, marshmallows and maybe a little vanilla.

Here's another:

edible pond
food color
yogert blue
dip Bred in the yogert put karet cyons on the bred (karet cyons = carrot coins)

Elise has tucked these (and more!) away in my recipe box, and even at one point made her own recipe-writing desk out of a cardboard box. Kalina decorated the recipes, so they make a sweet little collection.

Fortunately for me, Elise, prepares all her recipes on her own, occasionally with help from Naomi or Kalina. Of course, I might need to reach eggs, help with spills, refill salt containers, find appropriately sized baking pans and measuring cups, put things into and pull things out of the oven (at 2-minute intervals so we can check to see if it's done), and myriad other insignificant tasks, but it's clearly Elise's project. I can just sit back and relax while dessert gets made! Elise has also been faithful about the other half of baking: cleanup. A couple reminders, and she's totally on it!

Really, the only tricky part it trying to figure out when the recipe is done baking, as many of Elise's creations fall into categories of their own (unleavened cupcakes, milk-cakes, strawberry-peanut butter fudgecakes, etc.). We seem to be successful every time, though, especially once the creations are cooled and drizzled with honey, sprinkled with more sugar or topped with frosting.

Elise added a box to her
scooter so she could deliver
treats to the neighbors. These
were standard chocolate chip
cookies made by Kalina that
were the best several of our
neighbors had ever eaten!

Of course, with Elise's generous nature, she's always willing to share. She made mini cupcakes for the kids up the street, and sent one home with Grandpa as well. So far, she's gotten rave reviews from everyone except Naomi, but we all know how picky Naomi is! Naomi even used to be afraid of ice cream, so of course she's only licking the frosting off a mini cupcake!

It's been wonderful seeing Elise put her kitchen knowledge to work, and without cookbooks, too! In fact, at the suggestion that she could flip through our kids' cookbook, she said she preferred to come up with her own. I don't blame her--after all, most of the cookbook recipes are a bit low on marshmallows.

Thanks, Elise, for being a treat to watch, as well as making us some lovely treats!

Also, we're out of sugar.