Omigod! Omigod! Omigod!
The one year old room has a play kitchen! It is SO FREAKIN' COOL!
Sprite, move over. My turn!
I remember playing with the plastic fruits and vegetables when I was kid, popping them into a pretend pot to put them on the pretend stove (I believe this is how Apples Brown Betty was created... so I've heard.) and then pretend they had magically transformed into whatever recipe I thought of, of course they still looked like their original forms, but hey, I was pretending. (My imagination was a lot better and a lot cheaper than most toys.)
Obviously, the kitchen now installed in the one year old room is a lot better than the kitchens of yesteryear. (Oh, my word, am I THAT old that yesteryear applies to ME? I feel faint...) The kitchen now has a four burner stove with the burner stickers glowing permanently red to show that the burners have been left on all night (wow, I hope this isn't a gas burning stove)(see? That's my imagination at work!) and an oven underneath with just enough room for a wayward toddler to hide (so THAT's why there's some cutouts in the back of it... smart people avoiding lawsuits).
Anyway, the best play kitchen ever invented also has a microwave, a pantry, lots of storage space for all the plastic pots and pans and bananas and apples and a cookie and mac n cheese... I think I'm gonna call in to work.
I walked in with Sprite this morning and saw it set up against the near wall. 2 other children were already compiled in front of it, turning on the faucet (or were they turning it off...?) and putting food on plates.
We made a beeline and gently eased into the group (i.e. shoved them aside and distracted them- "Look, there's Elmo!") and I started to explore this wondrous make believe we're making food and making me late for work contraption. Wow, it even has a kitschy back splash! I'm in love.
"Apple," Sprite said, leaning down and grabbing an plastic apple.
"Yes, love, that is an apple," I replied, my eyes drawn to the various accessories. Hmm, mixing bowls and spoons. Hours of pretend mixing? Be still my beating heart...
"Nana!" Sprite exclaimed and picked up a miniature bunch of bananas.
"That would be right, Sprite," I responded, still distracted. The pots have lids! How cool would some dry ice be right now to create an actual boiling pot?!
I noticed the teacher was watching me with a spiked eyebrow, but I didn't care. My money went towards it. Shouldn't I get to play with it? That's reasonable, right?
I started rummaging through the various drawers and cabinetry to discover more secrets about this play kitchen when my cell phone chirped. I looked at the clock and realized I had 15 minutes before I was officially late.
Sprite had taken her apple and banana and moved on to another activity already, not even noticing as I tip-toed out of the room, a little embarrassed for my excitement over a play set.
I realized later that my child was showing me that she knows object association. She correctly identified and located two fruits on her own. She just didn't identify the fruit roll-up sitting next to her and ignoring her.
I am hanging my head in shame.
From this day forward, I am only going to buy toys for Sprite that I think are boring or have no interest in. (Or I will at least wait until she's sleeping before I mess with them...)
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