The Adventures of Chair

Today we had a babysitter over. Just before I left the house, while the kids are both having quiet/nap time, she asks me, "Do you have a dog-shaped chair somewhere in your house? I keep hearing about a 'dog chair,' and I haven't seen it." Poor girl, I had to explain that we have an imaginary pet dog named Chair, as well as a skunk named Garage Door Button, and various other animals. She felt somewhat better after I told her that S's preschool teacher didn't know for most of the year that "dog Chair" was imaginary. And the preschool teacher only found out when I told her!

(the back story on the preschool teacher: Had I known that S's preschool teacher didn't know, I would have told her much earlier. It only came up because of S's special person week. The special person sits in a special chair during circle time, and the other children take turns asking questions. One girl asked S what his favorite pet was. He replied, "dog Chair," and the preschool teacher sitting next to him, said "Of Course," in a way that said, "I hear about this dog and its magnificent feats all the time." When I saw the videotape of this, I realized I'd better tell her. )

This evening I asked S what Chair did today. He told me that Chair went to the grocery store. I asked, "With his Mom?" S replied, "No, with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Chair saw a cereal with a pirate on it (I think he said pirate) and he asked if he could have it, and his aunt said yes, and he got five boxes. And you can't have any, but Chair is going to eat it all the time, and it has chocolate in it. And it is good for his stomach." The Star Wars indoctrination is in full effect at our house, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are the relatives who Luke lives with. FYI, I tell the kids all the time that we aren't buying various junky food items because they aren't good for our stomachs.

One last Star Wars story. This morning on our trip to the grocery store (where S did get to pick out 2 boxes of cereal he wanted) he informed me that one of Chair's friends wants to be a plumber when he grows up. Of course I asked who, and he replied that Luke wants to be an X-wing pilot. So I asked again, which friend wants to be a plumber? S's response? Han!