Let's all go to the liquor store!

Lily has a very active imagination. With absolutely zero encouragement from me (there is still time to nominate me for Mother of the Year) Lily latched on to a set of doll house dolls when she was about 18 months old. They were the first toys that she really played with. According to my very conservative estimation I have personally endured over 150 hours of playing "Mommy Doll".

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY HOURS. Give that a minute to sink in.

150 hours of:

Me: "What do you want to do today Daddy Doll?"
Lily: "Chase me up the stairs and fall off the roof!!!!"

Me: "What do you want to do today Daddy Doll?"
Lily: "Chase me down the stairs and fall down in the kitchen!!!"

Me: "What do you want to do today Daddy Doll?"
Lily: "Chase me up the stairs and fall into the potty, HAHAHAHAHAHA.!!!!!"

You get the idea.

After 15 months of all consuming dollhouse play, I have groundbreaking news. Lily has a new favorite form of pretend play. Without further ado, "Let's all go to the liquor store!"

As the name would imply Lily packs each of us a purse and we strike out to the dining room to go to the liquor store. In a truly hilarious twist, the dining room also doubles as church. The kitchen is always the store and the living room and sun room alternate between the playground, the doctor, outside, and school. The playroom is always home.

Before you run to get the phone and call child services I think it bears mentioning that in MA the only place we can buy beer or wine is a liquor store. The only reason I mention it is that I understand that in states where hooch is easier to come by the idea of going to the liquor store is hardcore. In either case, I wouldn't say that I am proud that my 2 and a half year old knows the word liquor, but it's not like she knows what she is saying. It certainly doesn't help that the cashier at our neighborhood store gives Lily a lollipop every time she is there. Which as my friend Vicki pointed out, just seems "wrong" (albeit comical) for some reason...something about luring kids into a liquor store with candy. Anyway, it is Lily's favorite errand to run with her daddy. The kicker, we don't even let her eat the lollipops! As everyone knows, lollipops are for big girls that poop on the potty...a feat that Lily is still refusing to do.

Anyway, while I certainly wouldn't say that this new form of pretend is my favorite activity, it is a nice change from all of the dollhouse nonsense. Mommy doll is tired of falling off the roof. The biggest drawback, in my eyes, to her new game is that she wants to haul two thirds of the toys out the the playroom all day long. That might not seem too terrible except that a) I am a control freak and can hardly think straight when I am trying to cook dinner ankle deep in toys, b) she has less than zero intention of helping me pick up any of it, c) I am forced to referee no less than 30 squabbles a minute because "No, Ben that is mine. Put it back on the floor in the middle of the room where Mommy can step on it while she rushes me to the bathroom in a few minutes!!!" -I might be paraphrasing that last one.

I am glad that she has an active imagination and I have to admit it makes me chuckle every time she shouts, "Mommy get your purse! It's time to go to the liquor store!"