Time-Out-Tyrant

“Mommy!!! Dere’s a BEETLE” screams Bubba from across the room.If you know me, you know that I am definitely not interested, excited or willing to look at, pick up or dispose of a beetle. So I drag myself over to the spot where said beetle is residing, next to the train set.I look down, and no beetle.First thought: Whew, beetle free.Second thought: Where the heck is it!?-“Umm, Bubba? Where’s the beetle?”“Right dere Mommy! On da fwoor!” and he points to an empty floor.-“What color is it?”“It orwange. Orwange beetle.”Ahh- and there we have it. Imagination. He’s starting doing this more often lately. He’s coming up with his own stories and ideas and pretending to see them and act them out.One day its scooping “dirt” off the couch into a bucket. The next it’s a purple monster next to the toys. “Daddy, I scawed” Have you figured out that he can’t say his r’s quiet yet?My favorite, most recent Bubba Imagination Story was from last week. I chatted before about our Time-Out routine. Don’t remember, check out Bubba Blows a Gasket.Anyway, last week was the week of cars at our house. They came out every day and were lined up on the floor multiple times, as if in a parade. Or simply left in a giant pile directly in the middle of the floor- very helpful buddy, thanks.All of a sudden Bubba goes sprinting toward the front door, car in hand, and he’s mumbling something. My thought: He’s escaping! After him!-“Hey Bud, whatcha doin?”“Car go TIME OUT!”Woah –“Why? What happened?”“He hittin me! To the car: You sit on bum. Time out. No hittin me.” And he places the car on the Time-Out spot.-“Hmm. Okay. I’m sorry he hit you. That wasn’t nice.”Bubba, to the car: “You wisten? (listen) You weady wisten? Okay, all done time out.”Wooo boy- someone’s been paying attention to the routine. Points for consistency. As he retrieves the car from the time out spot he gives the car a hug and goes “No hittin, I wuv you.” Then places the car back with the others. He then picks up a different car and goes running back to time out.Where are you going, now?-“Hey, what happened now?”He returns with the car and goes “Dis car, it hittin me, hittin my track.” Then proceeds to take said car and absolutely destroy the train set on the table, but of course the car did it. Then the car goes to time out. This car, I have to say, was not as lucky as his amigo. He ended up in Time Out until well after nap time. When I asked Bubba if he was going to take the car out of time out he said “Nope. Car not nice. He hittin my track.” Eventually, the car ended up back with his buddies, but may need some car-therapy due to his extended stay in solitary. Turns out, Bubba is quite the Time-Out-Tyrant.Needless to say, his imagination is developing well. Maybe too well. Sometimes it takes us a few minutes to figure out if he’s really seeing something or pretending. Remind me to tell you about the fly he saw in the bedroom- turns out, he wasn’t making that one up. You’ll never guess where it ended up. Ugh. Not safe for blog-space.Do you have a favorite or funny imagination story? Share it with me below- I’d love to read it!While you're at it, check out the video evidence of the Time-Out-Tyrant. His future girlfriends are going to love me.Be Great,M