Confessions of a Capricious Stepmother

Kate's imagination has really taken off. Her two favorite make believe scenarios are

1. There is a family of alligators visiting (mom, dad & baby). Kate shows them around the house and instructs them on using the amenities (how to use the toilet, where to get food, what clothes of mine they can wear, etc). She did this for 2 solid hours the other day.

2. We play Cinderella. The odd thing is, Kate never wants to be Cinderella. She is most often the mean stepmother. I assumed that this was because she likes ordering me (Cinderella) around. However, I've found Kate to be quite the pushover. Every time she tells me I can't go to the ball because I don't have a gown, and I start crying, she magnanimously offers to help me make a gown. Her justification? "Sometimes I'm mean, sometimes I'm nice."

We were deep into scenario two yesterday with me as Cinderella and Kate as the Prince (second favorite role). As we were dancing, Kate suggests we should get married. Then, in her deepest, most princely voice, she says, "Come on Cinderella, let's smooch." I about died laughing, all the while she was trying to smooch me.

I'm not sure what to make of it. Should I be worried? I have her convinced that if you kiss someone, that means you are getting married. I was pretty pleased with her easy acceptance of it, and assumed I wouldn't have to worry about her chasing boys at school, but what boy could ever resist the invitation, "Come on, let's smooch" ?

I fear I have neglected Faith in my bloggings. Poor second child. She is such a sweetheart and also quite funny. Her new favorite thing to do is run up to people and say "Bah!" (boo!). I don't know about everyone else, but she gets me every time! She is an excellent eater. In fact, her doctor congratulated me on the fact that both my kids are the chunkiest they've ever been, and told me to keep up the good work!
Yesterday I babysat a little girl Faith's age while Kate was at preschool. Faith was ecstatic to have a person her size around, with no one else to steal her attention. So, like her sister, Faith decided to show her everything in the house. The poor kid just sat there bewildered as Faith introduced her to every piece of laundry I folded. It was pretty funny. Then she started doing this thing that Kate does to make Faith laugh: She runs into things while yelling and falls down. So Faith was now doing this to make the other baby laugh, and I couldn't help but be amazed at how much Faith takes in and how well she mimicks Kate. I love watching her follow Kate around, and I hope so much that they will be best friends.