Leesie's imaginative expressions

After a few months of Johnny pretending to be a character, or to see something that isn't really there, I have grown accustomed to Annelise staring at Johnny blankly or even saying: "Stop that, there is NO dragon!" "You are not a frog, not a car, and not big bear, you are Johnny!" She first began couple months ago by telling me she was "Mama Mary" and putting her favorite blanket over her head like a veil. Now she does this to help herself fall asleep, when she realizes she is done with stories and snuggles. She calls to me and says, "I'm Mama Mary and I can sleep now." So one morning she woke up and adjusted her veil and said, "Mama Mary is awake." I replied, "Do you have baby Jesus in your tummy?" She answered, "No, lots and lots of kittens. Let me count: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven little kittens." She held them out to me and kissed them. So sweet, and so cute to watch.

Yesterday I felt she had really grown a notch when she announced as we were driving away from the park, "There are creatures in the car Mommy. Red, blue, green, pink, purple, brown and black." I replied, "Should I be scared, are they scarey?" Sometimes she and Johnny pretend now to be scary bears or tigers and chase after Mommy. She answered, "No Mommy, they are beautiful ladybug creatures, not scary creatures. You can stop the car and play with them too. You can." She was smiling and pretending to play with them. I was marveling that she was now sharing in being so imaginative and thankful she can express herself so well (creatures, not things) reminding myself she's only two years old. I heard Johnny reply to her while laughing, "No Leese der is no ladybugs in here. Das silly, you ah silly Leese." I love their little bantering. This part of toddlerhood is just simply wonderful.