Trash trucks and dinosaurs

Imagination is a funny thing. It can be our best friend or our scariest enemy. Well today Julia decided it was her best friend.

This morning she overheard me sing "Happy Birthday" over the phone to my friend Sandy. At the time I thought she wasn't even listening. But after we went outside to play with Phoebe and to inspect our garden; I realized she understood my conversation. She was running around the backyard gathering sticks with Phoebe, then decided it was time to come over to my chair to give me my 'birfday pawensense'. After carefully laying the many sticks down on the table she proceeded to sing "Happy Birthday". Then it got really interesting. She was handing me the sticks saying "happy birfday to you, Mama" and "happy birfday to Miss Sandy, Mama". When I said thank you for the stick she curtly corrected me. "No Mama, that's your pawensense". Sorry!

She heard the mailman and the distribution of presents was forgotten. It was time to get the mail. Usually after getting the mail we go inside again. But since the weather was perfect today we sat out on the front walk. As she discussed the flowers behind her, she heard a noise that brought a huge smile to her tiny face. THE TRASH TRUCK WAS COMING! Oh, how exciting! She quickly stood-up and watched as the large, white truck came down our road. She waved and the trashmen waved back. It was a cute moment...but wait...there's another truck coming! Two in one moment! She screeched with joy and clapped - how awesome! As she watched the second truck get our neighbors trash can she exclaimed "Mama! The trash truck is taking their dirty diapers!". Now it was my turn to smile.

The rest of the morning and into the early afternoon she played "trash truck". Using her Little Tykes ride along truck, she rode around the foyer and kitchen exclaiming that she was a trash truck. Various toys that were on the floor were put into the back of the truck as she made the noise of the hydraulic lift (garrrrrrrrr rrrrr rrrr). Wow, I didn't know we had a resident trash truck!

Before we left for Sandy's house to watch her kids (and make birthday cupcakes) so she could take her hubby to an emergency doc appointment we went out to the backyard again. It was a bit breezy. But little did I know the wind really wasn't the wind. It was a dinosaur! She grabbed my hand and pointed with her other tiny finger towards the trees that line the back of our property and yelled "Mama, yook! It's a dinosaur! It's walking!" One couldn't help but get excited with her! After confirming the siting, she looked up at me and smiled - "Yes, Mama. The dinosaur is here. Yes" As we started back into the house she stopped at the door, turned around and waved. While she waved she said "Bye bye alyeegator". Dinosaurs AND alligators?! I had no idea we had a reptile world in our backyard. Someone should warn the dog... And call Aunt Jess for reptile help...