It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than This - Part 3 (Too Much Magic Bus)

When I found out I was having twins, one of the first things I imagined was playing in the house with my boys,pretending together that I was a damsel in distress that the brave princes would come to rescue. I loved imaginary play when I was a child and actually made a career of it when I grew up, teaching drama classes for kids for ten years. Thus, when having my own kids, I looked so forward to the age when we would be able to engage in this kind of creative play together. Well, the time has come, and it really doesn't get any better than this!

I've always encouraged them to use their imaginations in many ways, but now that they are two, they have really become great leaders on our imaginary adventures. They love to care for their stuffed toys, giving teddy bears diaper changes and reading them bedtime stories before tucking them in to their cribs. Ethan loves pretending to be a lion and scaring me as he roars his frightening roar. We pretend to make pizzas and bake cakes in the sand, and pretend that swings at the park are racecars. Everyday their imaginations become more complex and creative, and I just love encouraging them to explore the world as they would like it to be.

Our most recent activity has been taking rides in our school bus. This tent-like structure was a birthday gift from us to the boys. Lucas, of course, christened himself the "driver" on our first journey and quickly branded Ethan the "passenger." The twin gods were smiling down on us that day, because this seemed to sit well with both of them. Whew!

After several adventures to Daddy's office, the park, our pediatrician's office, and Mexico (to see our former housekeeper Jenny), we took our bus to the zoo. This sparked an idea in Ethan. He ran to get every stuffed animal we had and set them around the living room as if they were all on exhibit at the zoo. We had done this before, but he definitely took on the role of zookeeper this time. When we arrived at the zoo, Ethan and I got out to visit the animals, while Lucas refused. Apparently a good bus driver never leaves his vehicle.

When we returned to the bus after touring the zoo, Ethan had an idea. "Animals in bus!" Thus, in his best Goodnight Gorilla imitation, he liberated each and every animal from the zoo, piling them into the bus and instructing the driver to "drive fast!" Before the zoo officials could catch us, we had made it home with our posse.

So now, everytime we play school bus, Ethan has to load all the stuffed animals in our house into the bus, while Lucas patiently waits behind the wheel. It has become such a fun little game we play. SO fun, in fact, that everyone wants in on the action.

I guess there is room for one more stowaway!