Our Imaginations Help Us Travel Far

Brooke put on a light brown vest with four pockets in the front. The first words out of 3-year-old Lynleigh’s mouth were, “You ready for a jungle safari?” Brooke and her older daughter, Olivia, 11, looked at each other with surprise and asked themselves how Lynleigh even knows what a safari is. — Brooke Hastings of Kendallville, who says “never, ever a dull moment around here.”

Brooke shared this based on a recent Monday morning.

Rule of thumb: Tell your kids (and yourself) you need to be out the door 30 minutes prior to when you actually need to leave ... and this is why ...

3-year-old: I need my sunglasses.

11-year-old: I need my switch charger.

Back to the car.

3-year-old: I need my back pack.

11-year-old: Oh shoot, I need my DVD player.

Back to car.

3-year-old: I need my Elsa dress and mermaid hair bow.

(Brooke gives the death glare to the 11-year-old.)

11-year-old: Hey, I’m good.

Brooke wrote, “They say I’m gonna miss these days ... not sure these were the days they were talking about!”

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Brianna said to Hazel, 3, “We DO NOT hit. Do you understand?” Hazel indicated she understood but added, “But we can hit dragons.” Brianna asked, “What? Who told you that?” Hazel replied, “Um, it was me. I said that.” She’s a treasure, ladies and gentlemen. — Brianna Hayden of Kendallville

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Have you ever thought about how very young children interpret the “magic” of the everyday appliances that are part of our lives? Lila Grace, 1 1/2 often doesn’t finish the milk in her sippy cup. Lila’s sippy cup with the leftover milk is then put in the fridge. The other day Lila finished all her milk but she insisted that her grandmother, my sister Vi, put the empty sippy cup in the fridge. Lila remained standing by the refrigerator and after a few minutes Lila tugged on the fridge door, “asking” for the cup. So Vi opened the fridge and gave the empty cup to Lila. Lila sucked and discovered it was empty. She gave the empty cup to Vi and indicated for Vi to put it back in the fridge. Vi was puzzled but Lila insisted. After a few moments Lila again wanted the cup from the fridge. Lila sucked on the cup. She looked perplexed. Then it dawned on Vi — Lila thought putting the cup in the fridge would refill it with milk! Vi asked Lila if she wanted some water. Lila indicated yes, the cup was filled, and she toddled away happily. — Vi Wysong of Wawaka

Miles, 5, another grandchild of my sister Vi and her husband Phil, has long referred to a gas station as “a candy store where you can buy gas!”

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Thank you to everyone who contributed to this week’s column. I need more stories! Please email me at ghousholder@kpcmedia.com; mail stories to me at 816 Mott St., Kendallville, IN 46755, or go to funnykids.com to submit your story and also read past stories. Please share this column with friends and family — I would love to hear from them, too.

Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination