Playing pretend

Ivy really enjoys playing pretend.

Her favorite way to play pretend is to tell me what to do. This evening she came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Mommy! Pretend I need a special dress."  I said, "Okay."

Then she steps away from me and says, "Mommy, do you think I need a special dress?"

I said, "Yes." And that was the end of the game.

Often, playing pretend with Ivy is a much longer process. Sometimes I am not sure how to participate. One time she whispered, "Mommy. Pretend I am a princess and you are an evil witch. I want you to poison me, but then I will get strong and turn into a pegasus and stomp on you, and you will turn to dust." I stared at her blankly. How should I proceed with this one? Do I grab a cup and pretend it's poison? Am I really supposed tgo get stomped, or is that part pretend? How does one pretend to turn into dust? At that point, when I realized I was contemplating pretending I was dust, I walked away.

My favorites are the times she includes Story. "Mommy. Pretend that you are our Mother." That's hard. "Story is a very bad child and I am your very good princess angel girl." Really? "And you have to punish Story for stealing my fairy wings. You should punish her by making her sit in that chair in the corner." There is no way I can do this- Story would think I am really putting her in time out. I try to explain that to Ivy. But, from the time she finished her sentence, she has been pretending, and is NOT happy with my part in her melodrama.

Really, my best option is to hide. When I hear Ivy talking to herself and pulling play clothes out of the closet, I take to the hills. Or at least the bathroom.