What Is Man's Relationship to Nature?

Lydia's imaginative play has really blossomed this month! Here's a few things that she has started "imagining".

• Baby Dolls: Lydia received several baby dolls for her first birthday (including the Cabbage Patch Doll we gave her that sleeps with her), but never really played with them until now. I noticed a big change in how she played with her dolls after Cousin Adah was born. Before, she would pick up a baby every once in awhile, but usually ignored them. Now, she carries her baby dolls all over. She will put them in the doll stroller and push them around the house, put them in her swing and push them, and even sit in the swing with them and swing. She will also hand me the dolls, then pick them up and put them down, then pick them and hand them to me again! It's so cute watching her play with her dolls. (On a side note: she's also now obsessed with babies since Adah was born. Every time she sees a baby while we are out and about, she has to go over and say "hi" to it. So cute!)
• "Shopping": Lydia likes to pick up bags and carry them around the house. Once she picks up a bag (any bag - a purse, grocery bag, her diaper bag), she puts it on her arm and then waves "bye-bye" to us. I ask her, "Are you going shopping?" and she says "Yeah!" and nods her head. The other day, she had a bag, her stroller, and was carrying a baby around the house.
• Makeup: Lydia has always been interested in my makeup. She used to sit quietly (and still) on my lap and watch me put makeup on. Now, she wants to have makeup, too. I let her choose what she wants out of my makeup tray. She usually picks the eye shadow brush and will brush it on her cheeks (sometimes puts it in her mouth, yuck). She get my foundation sponge and wipes that on her face, too. She likes to look in the mirror and talk to herself.
• Talking on the Phone: Lydia has always liked texting on my cell phone, but now she will put the phone to her ear and start talking. It's really cute when she's talking on the phone and then starts laughing. She always seems to talk to someone who is funny! The other day, I called Brian and he put Lydia on the phone and she actually started "talking" to me! First time she talked to an actual person on the phone.

I love how Lydia tries to do everything that I do! Imaginative play is one way of learning.