Horsey Needs Batteries Daddy

Pink had just come home and was in the kitchen working on dinner after some after-work pleasantries when Little Blue and I were half watching the History Channels Modern Marvels of Farming (Little Blue saw the tractors and wanted to watch). Once they started talking about geneticly modified seeds, Little Blue lost interest and went to go right his wooden horsey. Note this purebred horse has no electrical componants.

So, Little Blue is galloping around the living room, using his "nice words" (excuse me, please and thank you) when he scoots by the couch and wants me to pick up my feet so he can get by. I give him praise for using his nice words and continue to enjoy watching him cruise by. At one point I ask him, "Hey bud, go right horse so you can see Mommy and give her a wave."

"Okay!" He goes and did ask I ask, and of course Pink waves back while she's working on dinner.

Couple minutes later Little Blue comes running over, "Daddy! Horsey fell over!"

I lean around the corner a little bit and see that, sure enough, the horse is down on it's side. "Well, Little Blue, is he okay?"

"Don't know." LB walks over to check.

"What's the verdict man?"

"Horsey ran out of badderies Daddy."

I chuckle. "Oh no! What do we need to do?" I figure I'd play along and see where this was going to go.

"We...He..well..umm...," LB often does this now...is vocabulary grows day by day and he's struggling to get the right words to convey his message, "He needs badderies Daddy!"

Now, a wooden horse with wheels needs no batteries. "Where are we going to get them?"

LB runs right over to the recliner, which has been a haven for some clean clothes out of the dryer for the night. "Daddy! I found some. Dere over here! Right here!" LB acts as if he's grabbing something just above the pile of clothes and turns to me. "Daddy, I got the badderies!"

"Excellent bud! Now what?"

"Horsey needs dem."

"Can you go put them in?"

"Sure!" LB heads over, and makes his Dad proud by acting like he's putting the batteries in as if they were new tires for the horse.

"Need some help champ?"

"No Daddy," he says in his I Can Do This By Myself tone, "I can do it."

"Good job! Is horsey all fixed now?"

"Umm," the gears in LB's head churn, "Nope! He needs more badderies!"

"Well get some more!"

This scenario goes on for the next 15 minutes...collecting of imaginary batteries, installing them like they were new tires, and coming back for more. First time I've actually seen LB use his imagination to this extent. Usually it's something quick and simple like, "[Winnie the]Pooh is watching me go potty and wash hands Daddy." A quick bit of imagination and he's done.

The Dad part of me was proud and tickeled. The psychologist part of me that is facinated when I watch people learn/do something new. I just participated, encouraging his active imagination, and being proud.

Finally, knowing dinner was coming soon, I say, "Okay bud, does horsey have enough batteries now?"

"I don't know Daddy...I think so."

"Well stand him back up and get back on that horse and let's see!"

LB, in pure excitment, "Okay!" In a matter of moments he was cruising around the living room again. He parked his horsey five minutes later and ate an excellent dinner.

Parenthood is so educational and fun.