Sometimes I'm a Pig

That's right, sometimes I am a pig. Not the kind that makes huge messes or overindulges in chocolate (ok, that's a blatant lie - I do overindulge in anything listing cocoa as an ingredient). But that's also not the kind of pig-ness I am referring to.

The metamorphosis almost always happens at night, usually when I'm tucking my son into bed. He hands me this pinkish stuffed farm animal and makes me "be" the pig. I'm sure all you parents know what I'm talking about. When you're forced to become an animal or other toy character and tell stories or answer questions in not-sounding-like-any-person-animal-or-character-anyone's-ever-heard-of voices. At least that's how we play in my house. Please tell me we're not the only ones?

Piggy - Ciaran's fave toy, for this month at least.

 I actually enjoy being Piggy, though. I fly though the air and have awesome parties where my toy friends and I jump into imaginary mud puddles the size of  Ciaran's room. Oh, and I can sing Down By the Bay in a rather amusing operatic style. Yes, I'm one wild and crazy, not to mention talented pig. 

But the best thing about becoming Piggy? I get to be privy to things I normally wouldn't be as plain old Mommy. Ciaran tells me Piggy things much more candidly during these times.

For instance, I learned that he wishes I would come pick him up from daycare earlier than I usually get there. It seems he's always one of the last kids to be picked up at night and, while I never realized it bothered him that much, apparently it does. Also, Noninna (my mother-in-law) gives him waaay too many treats when she's babysitting. (Mental note to talk to her about that!).

I'm not always resigned to just being a pig, I'll have you know. I've also done a pretty good characterization of the Buddha. Yes, Buddha. We have a wooden figurine of him that Ciaran took to playing with for a while. And once he stopped freaking out over Buddha's eyes being closed, he started handing the figurine to me, wanting me to speak for him.

I'm not gonna lie; that was a bit awkward at first. I wasn't sure how to "be" Buddha. I experimented with different personalities. Sometimes I was all reflective and wise, but Ciaran seemed to like "fun Buddha" better. And again, I could never get the voice quite right. Buddha always sounded like a slightly more refined Elvis impersonator.

Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe Elvis is Buddha. And, before you go thinking Well, she's really gone off the deep end now - I'm obviously not the only one who's thought about this: