Pretend......

So first of all just let me say that I'm really glad that my kids play pretend.  They are so good with their imaginations and that makes me endlessly happy.  And sometimes I like to pretend with them!

However, sometimes the pretend intro sounds like this:
Lucy: Mommy! Let's play house!
Coen: Yeah! Let's play house. Pretend you're the mom and we're the kids and we're being really naughty--
Me: Okay, let me stop you there. You guys, I LIVE house. I don't want to PLAY house
(Unless I'm in the middle of making dinner. Then I just change the game to say "Pretend I'm the mom and I'm making dinner and you guys are the kids and you go play by yourselves." That game's awesome.)

Tad's friend Erik stayed with us last night with his daughter Natalie.   Erik  showed me this picture he took of his cat with Lando Calrissian. 

Is this not one of the funniest pictures you've ever seen? Look at this cat's face?  He's like "Dude. Eff off, okay?  Lando's my hero."  That's why I had a caption contest on Facebook and you can still contribute if you want to. Here or on Facebook.  I have five so far, but I want MORE!

Anyway, Natalie, Coen and Lucy were playing that they were a dog and two cats respectively.  And they kept coming into the kitchen and saying "Pretend...that you guys are our owners and you are taking us for a walk" or "Pretend...that you're the lobby manager (that was Erik. I'm not sure there even is such a thing as a lobby manager but if there is, I'd like to job shadow one.) and you chase us out of the lobby."  And every time they said "Pretend..." it was with great upward inflection. And Coen actually pronounces it "Fretend" which is adorable and I will never correct him. Not even if he still saying it like that when he's twenty.

So we were "pretending" to throw their doggie toys and balls of yarn far away, like WAY way far into the living room so it would take them longer to go get them and come back into the kitchen where Tad, Erik and I were talking and drinking coffee.  But they did come back eventually and so I got them all doggie and kitty treats (pretend) and bowls of water which they lapped up with their tongues.

They had fun pretending even though we were trying not to pretend with them as much as possible.

I do love pretend. I do. But when my kids rope me into playing house or feeding me all my lines, I don't like that.  If I'm going to fretend, I'm going to fretend my OWN way!