A friend called Silly
October 30, 2007 – 4:06 pmOne of the major disadvantages of having an only child is that they want to play with you.
All. The. Time.
With you.
PLAYING.
Don’t get me wrong, I love CJ to pieces. I love to hear the funny things he comes up with… watch his imagination grow and form… get an insider glimpse at the way his mind works.
But there’s times when I JUST DON’T WANT TO PLAY!
I do not particularly like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I don’t want to be one. And even though I’m not a fan, that doesn’t mean I want to FIGHT them.
I despise Power Rangers. I AM NOT A PINK RANGER!
I am sick of Buzz Lightyear. I wish he’d get lost in the galaxy, or done-in by Zurg. I know it’s wrong, but there it is.
I don’t mind playing hiding under the covers or CJ’s room is a space ship or mommy is the monster… but after 30 minutes my mind just starts to wander.
I’m a GROWN UP, for Pete’s sakes! Isn’t one of the privileges of being a GROWN-UP that you get to do GROWN-UP THINGS??
Apparently not. Apparently, you forfeit all aforementioned grown-up rights when you choose to reproduce.
But still… there are things to be done. Carpets to be vacuumed. (ok, ok, so my robot can handle that. but still, I like to supervise)
Dishes don’t do themselves. Neither does laundry. And the bathroom… FREAKIN’ BATHROOM! … it does not, in fact, clean itself.
And so, I thank my lucky stars for the small moments when CJ comes up with SOMETHING TO DO that does not involve me.
The other day I had one of these windows of good fortune. Thirty minutes had gone by, and CJ was occupied in his room. I was getting lots done. Well, maybe I wasn’t. But I COULD have been… and for that I was grateful.
I heard voices from CJ’s room, and couldn’t help be curious about what he was up to.
The laundry beckoned, but my curiosity beckoned harder. I tip-toed outside his door, to listen in.
But CREEEEEAK! (stupid wood floors!) he heard me coming, and quickly shut the door.
Hmm.
The door shutting makes me worry. Usually, when CJ hears me coming, he responds with a MOMMY MOMMY COME PLAY WITH ME!
Shutting the door in my face can only mean one of three things.
- He is playing with water in his room and it’s now covering the floor, bed, and CJ.
- He is playing with permanent markers in his room and it’s now covering the floor, bed, and CJ.
- He’s playing “gum is a fun play thing” in his room and it’s now covering the floor, bed, and CJ.
None of these are good options. So I open the door.
CJ comes running, pushes me out of his room, and shuts the door. Dramatically, he puts his finger over his lips and shushes me.
“SHHHHHHH Mommy. Silly is sleeping!”
“OH! Silly… sleeping. Riiiight.”
I feel relief that this isn’t about gum, water, or markers and that nothing is covering his bed, floor, or self.
I should get back to the laundry. And yet, I’m… curious.
“Who is Silly, CJ?” I ask.
CJ answers cryptically, “he’s my friend.” he holds up a hand to keep me from coming forward and announces, “I need to check on him. You stay here mommy. And BE QUIET.”
Okaaaay….
With CJ clearly entertained, I cannot avoid the laundry any longer. I head downstairs with the laundry basket and leave CJ to his imaginative play.
All afternoon, CJ continues to talk about nothing but Silly.
He’s in the bathroom with the door closed. I hear water running and CJ talking… and again I worry.
“CJ?” I lean my ear towards the door and knock once. “CJ? What are you doing in there?”
“Moo-om! Leave us alone! Silly is going potty.”
Later I find him at the table, nose almost touching the notepad as he rapidly draws. I lean over his shoulder. “What-cha drawing?”
“This is Silly.” he tells me, pointing. “And this is me.”
“But where IS Silly?” I ask him, looking around for a stuffed animal or car or figurine.
He points. “Right THERE, mom. Silly is right there.”
THIS is imagination.
***
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Mother. Coffee drinker. Information seeker. Skeptic. Creative. Dreamer. Schemer. Absolutely Bananas.
By Jaclyn on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
What a goof! It is amazing the things kids can come up with, isn’t it?
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By Day Dreamer on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
LOL…now you’re going to be jealous of silly…
You’ve been replaced!
What an imaginatin! It’s a good thing, tho, when they can play BY themselves tho!
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By JaniceNW on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
You had me LMAO at “I’m a grown up!”. Muahahahahaha.
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By Tuesday Girl on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
This is why I love having twins. I don’t have to play with them as much as moms with 1 kid does. I can get a little me time every day.
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By Trenches of Mommyhood on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
How cute!
Yeah, that’s why I had 3. So they could play with EACH OTHER. (Except it doesn’t really work that way. *sigh*)
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By Midwest Mommy on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
Wow, never thought it would be a water bottle. How funny!
p.s. Feel the same way about playing ALL THE TIME!
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By Lela on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
Hehehe, you mean no one ever told you to get your kids out of your hair for hours you just give them a water bottle?
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By beta mom on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
Damnit - I wish I had thought of a half full water bottle before we went and had another kid for the first one to play with!
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By Anna on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
New here, and loving it, thanks for the laughs!
Anna at Hank and Willie
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By Sherry on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
Oh how funny!! Ya know… my son made a “plate friend” the other day out of a paper plate. They played Nintendo together for quite some time. I WAS feeling bad that my son’s friend is a plate, but not so much now! Thanks!
:o)
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By MKB on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
OH MY GOODNESS I AM LAUGHING SO HARD!!
This is precious!
A water bottle!
Kids are so cool! Can you imagine having so much NOT to worry about that your only concerns are for the safety and well-being of your water bottle…which is alive…and you have named…”Silly!”
Priceless!
Are you a children’s writer? YOu may just have a picture book storyline from this!!!
I love your blog - I will be back!!
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By Rimarama on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
I am impressed that you lasted an entire 30 minutes with the hiding under the covers game.
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By Misty Dawn on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
I’m so jealous! I wish I had his innocent imagination!
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By Secretmom on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
So funny. My 4-year-old (also an only child!) has an imaginary friend named “Stinky” (i really wish it were a different name!) Stinky does all sorts of things my son shouldn’t like ride on the ceiling fan and say that “hitting is fun”. it’s hillarious and has gone on for at least a month now.
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By WorksForMom on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
I so get this post Bananas. But I am dying at the thought of Buzz Lightyear getting lost in the galaxy, or done-in by Zurg.
He’s an imagination station that CJ!
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By tulipmom on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
I love it!
I know exactly what you mean about the nonstop entertaining involved with parenting an only child.
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By magnolia mama on Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
Adorable! And quite an artist I must say.
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By bellevelma on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
I think you might have totally missed the boat on this one. I mean, the drawing shows Silly in what I believe is a dress. So are you sure Silly IS the bottle of water?
Because maybe Silly is IN the bottle of water. Someone in a dress, living a bottle and I am thinking Genie! Remember the show I Dream of Jeannie?
And you thought the bathrooms and dishes wouldn’t clean themselves!
All you have to do now is convince CJ to share Silly with you…
Oh yeah, best game ever is called dead fish. My son’s daycare used to play it - you lie on the floor and both pretend to be dead fish, not moving AT ALL for as long as possible. First person to move loses. I used to tell Snags that I had to lie on the bed because the floor hurt my back… it’s a great way to get a little rest and the kids think it’s all game. Sometimes they even fall asleep!
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By Mert on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
I hear ya, having to play all the time can be exhausting! I love that he has such a vivid imagination. And silly is so cute :D
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By Starllet158 on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
So cute! My daughter has had an imaginary friend for a couple years now. His name is Dude and he lives one crazy life. I also suffer fromt he moooommmmy i`m booooooooorrrrred play with me about 100 times a day. I`m enjoying it while she`s still interested in me.
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By pinks & blues girls on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
That is great! I love how a child’s mind works.
Jane, Pinks & Blues
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By Lori- Fairytales & Margaritas on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
How cute is that! And Silly does look a little silly!
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By Heather, Queen of Shake-Shake on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
I’m so glad I’m not the only parent who doesn’t like to play! hehe!
But then, it’s always good…WONDERFUL…to have a silly friend in your life. I don’t know what I’d do without mine!
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By Jennifer aka Binky Bitch on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
Thank goodness for Silly! Hope he sticks around awhile (or at least doesn’t get spilled!).
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By SAHMmy Says on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
You’re off the hook! For God’s sake, label that water bottle with Silly’s name before someone inadvertently drinks him and ruins your escape!
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By Stephanie on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply
Yeah, even though I have three kids, I only have ONE boy. And I sure do not like playing light sabers.
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By cate on Nov 1, 2007 | Reply
i love playing with my kids….in moderation. all day is a bit much, and unfortunately it’s what they demand…so you’re not alone!
that is some kind of imagination! hopefully Silly will around for a while to keep CJ company! ;-)
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By suchsimplepleasures on Nov 1, 2007 | Reply
so great! my oldest son, who is now almost 12, had two invisible friends. they moved in with us, shortly after my ex and i divorced. one was a vampire who didn’t have fangs and the other was a “knightguy” who had a broken sword. they lived under my sons bed. i thought it was so cool…that he came up with these guys all by himself. anyway, they left a few years ago. under my sons bed, well, it just got way to messy for those two!
wonderful blog!
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By Daisy on Nov 3, 2007 | Reply
Creativity rules. Are you sure Silly wasn’t an invisible friend, sitting next to the water bottle?
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By tanya25m on Nov 10, 2007 | Reply
You’re lucky… your son had just one friend. My daughter had three. I had to wash two imaginary bums and bathe the third ‘coz he’d been playing in the dirt! Fortunately for me, the friends were around only for a couple of days, else I might have had to hire an imaginary babysitter. :)
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