Silas tells me what the story will be about that day and I take his inspiration and run with it. The first story started something like this: We were jumping on the bed and it crashed through the floor and went down, down, down through the white stuff to the bottom!
Hmm, interesting. I can work with this.
I begin the tale: Me, you and Mash were jumping on the bed and it crashed through the floor and went through the white stuff (what the white stuff is or 30% of his content I'll never know) and landed in a dark cave in the Land Down Under. Then we saw a dog walk up to us. He said Welcome to the Land Down Under! And we said WHHHAAAT??? A talking dog?? And he said What do you mean a talking dog? All animals talk in the Land Down Under! He told us his name was Mr. McGruff and showed us the door out of the cave. We looked around at beautiful rolling green hills and valleys. Then we decided we were all VEEEERRRRRYYY sleepy and we were worried that we couldn't get back home (the trick here is leaving suspense for the next day's story). Mr McGruff overheard our conversation and said Let me show you the way! He led us to an elevator with a big button that read Our Home. We piled in the elevator and Silas pushed the big button. We went up up up and when the door opened, we were in Silas' room. His closet was the elevator!
I begin the tale: Me, you and Mash were jumping on the bed and it crashed through the floor and went through the white stuff (what the white stuff is or 30% of his content I'll never know) and landed in a dark cave in the Land Down Under. Then we saw a dog walk up to us. He said Welcome to the Land Down Under! And we said WHHHAAAT??? A talking dog?? And he said What do you mean a talking dog? All animals talk in the Land Down Under! He told us his name was Mr. McGruff and showed us the door out of the cave. We looked around at beautiful rolling green hills and valleys. Then we decided we were all VEEEERRRRRYYY sleepy and we were worried that we couldn't get back home (the trick here is leaving suspense for the next day's story). Mr McGruff overheard our conversation and said Let me show you the way! He led us to an elevator with a big button that read Our Home. We piled in the elevator and Silas pushed the big button. We went up up up and when the door opened, we were in Silas' room. His closet was the elevator!
They're very short and they always end with me letting out a big fake yawn and everyone napping. And I've found that 4-year-old standards are quite low so even on my tired lame story telling days he has a big smile on his face.
But it's really fun to let our minds run free and see what we can think of. Along the way I usually find a way to slip in valuable subliminal messages about things like bravery, forgiveness, or him protecting his sister.
But it's really fun to let our minds run free and see what we can think of. Along the way I usually find a way to slip in valuable subliminal messages about things like bravery, forgiveness, or him protecting his sister.
Sometimes we go to the Land Down Under where we might ride a tiger over the hills or Silas and Mash might swim in the upside down swimming pool for KIDS ONLY.
Or there's the Land Up High where Grassy the flamingo lives and the clouds are trampolines and you have to slide down a giant blue swirly slide to get back to Silas' closet.
Or Daddy drives too fast and we fly out of the car and roll all the way to Cowyifornia and let the waves chase us. Or we jump too high on the bed and crash through the window and roll to Oklahoma and ride horses with cowboys (rolling places or falling through floors are his plot lines of choice).
Looks like all that imagination propaganda from my early years is finally paying off.
Looks like all that imagination propaganda from my early years is finally paying off.
Every single story I tell to Oliver has a talking animal...or a talking tree...or both. It just always happens!
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