doctor in training

It was only going to take time with Nolan's imaginative play kicking into high gear, but he has officially pretended to be a doctor. My work is frequently on his mind, in the context of what is it I do and why can't he come with me. Today he was pleading to come along and I told him as usual that my work would be boring to him, that there were a lot of sick and sad people and that we don't play around. When we're at the park by the lake he looks over to downtown Milwaukee at the hospital I work at and will ask if I need to go there to work. He looks at what I'm wearing to make sure it's not work clothes!

So, today he grabs his stuffed turtle pronouncing that he is sick and needs to see a doctor. He takes him into another room and grabs the flashlight and looks in its mouth. He says its mouth is sick and it needs something to make it better. At first he says the flashlight itself made its mouth better, but then he says that it needs chocolate cake to fix it! After a healthy dose of "chocolate cake" the turtle is "happy" per Nolan!

This morning I got to be home and woke to Nolan wandering around his room with Lammie his sheep, saying, "Let's find another book." He reads another and then goes to his play table so they can play with cars. He's talking and holding Lammie this whole time in such a sweet way. I poke my head up a little more so he can see me and then he says to Lammie, "Look, there's mama! She's awake! You see her?" He then turns around and goes back to his pretend play! It's been an amazing difference in how much he needs/wants us to be with him since he's more and more playing by himself, telling stories to himself. It's always such fun to listen in.