| Beth: |
[age 3] "Let's play 'Princess Feeds the World'."
|
| Me: |
"Hmm. I've never played that before. You'll have to tell me what to do."
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| Beth: |
"It's easy! You sit down in that chair and I'll stand over here. This --" [gestures to middle of the room] "-- is the world."
|
| Me: |
[sits] "Okay. Now what do I do?"
|
| Beth: |
"You are the Sunshine King. I am the Water Princess. So first we have fly around the world and throw seeds over the ground, like this." [tiptoes gracefully around the room, scattering imaginary seeds onto the floor]
|
| Me: |
"Can I do that?"
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| Beth: |
"Open your hand. ... Here are some seeds." [drops imaginary seeds into my hand] "Now, plant them!"
|
| Me: |
[attempts to imitate graceful movements around the room]
|
| Beth: |
"Oh Daddy. Really. No. Not like that at all. Like THIS." [repeats what she did earlier]
|
| Me: |
"I thought that's what I was doing."
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| Beth: |
"You were doing it wrong. Just sit down and let me do it."
|
|
[she continues hovering around the room, scattering seed, for a minute or two]
|
| Beth: |
"Okay. Now we need to water the seeds."
|
| Me: |
"Can I do that?"
|
| Beth: |
"No, you are the Sunshine King. A Sunshine King cannot make rain. Only a Water Princess can make rain. Like this." [puts hands behind her back and flutters around the room, passing over the scattered imaginary seeds] "There. I watered the plants with rain."
|
| Me: |
"Now what?"
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| Beth: |
"Now you shine on them."
|
| Me: |
"How do I do that?"
|
| Beth: |
"You're a Sunshine King! All Sunshine Kings know how to shine. Just do it!"
|
| Me: |
"Okay, okay. I'll try." [I get up, put my hands out, and move around the room trying to look like I'm beaming sunrays toward the imaginary seeds]
|
| Me: |
"How's that?"
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| Beth: |
"It's not bad. Do it again. They need more."
|
| Me: |
[repeats]
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| Beth: |
"Stop. That's enough. Now sit down and wait with me."
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| Me: |
[sits] "How long do we have to wait?"
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| Beth: |
"Until the plants grow."
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| Me: |
"Okay. I'm going to talk a sunshine nap. You let me know when they're done." [leans back, closes eyes]
|
| Beth: |
[waits a minute, then grabs my arm] "Look! They're ready!"
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| Me: |
[opens eyes] "Great! So what did we plant?"
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| Beth: |
"We have corn and tomatoes and lettuce and carrots. Now we just have to pick everything and give it to the world to eat!"
|
| Me: |
"Is this enough for the whole world?"
|
| Beth: |
"Of course it is! As long as you don't eat too much. Now help me pick it or you don't get any." |
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