While we're on the subject of make believe...

Fairies in flight

My daughter is four years old and lives in the wonderful world of pretend. When you're four so much in the world can be explained in simple terms like "it's magic." Now enter the fairies.

Me and Lily, the youngest fairy!

My friend Jamie and I are old college friends. We both have daughters who are only six weeks apart. Strangely, our lives have paralleled serendipitously at the strangest times. We parent similarly, enjoy wine, love to travel and shop, and both have very indulgent mothers who serve as "Nanas" to our daughters. Nana Sandy, Jamie's mom, has created a fantasy world for Jamie's little girl, Rachel, in which fairies and their magic kingdom abound. Life is about looking for evidence of fairies, and explaining things that happen through the magic of fairies.

Anna and Rachel enjoy Tinkerbell cupcakes at the fairy picnic

Thanks to Nana Sandy both of our four year olds had a magical day complete with the Nanas, the moms, and Lily, Jamie's baby. Through Nana Sandy's imagination, patience, and incredible party planning, we all traveled into fairy land one day this summer, and spent a day with the magic that is four years old!

Has anyone seen some pixie dust?

The day began with a treasure hunt for evidence of fairies. We found magic fairy dust, fairies in the plants, fairy rings, and did all of this while wearing wings. Wings were provided, but everyone needed to bring their own imagination to this party. While the girls gasped over the sparkly shells and magic rocks that they discovered hidden in the plants, they followed Nana Sandy with huge smiles of appreciation. They were simply in awe of this magical world that she shared with them. To the adults, we saw these "treasures" for what they were; straight from the dollar store and sprayed with glitter. The girls saw magic fairy treasures left for them by those mischievous pixies themselves. Delightful is watching two children and one Nana rejoice in the discovery of amazing things.

Look...fairy treasures and pixie dust!

The hunt, and obligatory "fairy flying" were followed by a picnic fit only for fairies. Fresh fruits, fairy-themed sandwiches, Tinkerbell cupcakes, and iced tea completed the menu. There was not one thing I could see that could make this fairy day any more complete.

Two fairies armed with treasure boxes. What will they find?

I've had many experiences this summer including exotic trips. This journey into imagination that brought so much joy to two four year olds, their moms, and Nanas, will forever be a special day. No tropical destination can quite match this. Pixie dust for Nana Sandy! May the fairies dance in her garden.

The picnic concluded with Nana Sandy reading a Pixie Hollow pop-up book to the fairies-in-training.

Travel to the world of make believe

Mr. Rogers was my childhood BFF

As a kid I loved Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Despite what many young children thought of him, I saw none of the slow pace and boring banter, but a world of imagination and play. My favorite part of the show was when Trolley came bounding along the tracks with its whistle that only Mr. Rogers seemed to be able to interpret. Trolley took children on a journey into The Land of Make Believe, a place that every kid would surely want to be, where reality was left behind and only imagination was real.

Perhaps it should be no surprise that my four year old daughter, Anna, is also quite fascinated with the world of pretend. If she was a young child of the 1970's then she, too, would have been a fan of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Not a day goes by that she does not dress up, pretend, or create some crazy-looking costume from her myriad of play clothes and jewelery. Along with that we've always noticed a dramatic tendency, and her love of socializing. Given these interests, my husband and I were inclined to plan our summer travels around Anna and agreed to be home for a week so that she could complete a drama class at a local children's theatre. As you might imagine, it was a huge success!

Anna's theatrical debut (she's the blonde one with the crazy hair)

We were happy to plan at least some summer days in which Anna could be a true kid. Sure, there's been the trips to the pool, the trip to Key West, the day trips to local places and visits with friends, but as you've read before, we don't always opt for the "typical" kid activities. My friends tell me that not every three year old chooses to go to "Jimmy Buffet's Restaurant" for their birthday. Surely they jest. So it did require a commitment on our part and planning to make sure that we were home for Anna to do her thing. It was a welcome change of pace for all of us.

We weren't sure going into this if Anna was going to dig it quite like we'd hoped when we ponied up the tuition. Sure, she's dramatic at home, but how will she do with other little thespians for 2.5 hours without mom and dad? Since the time that she was little we've left her with other trusted adults, but this is not her familiar daycare nor her "friends," as she was quick to point out, and how would she flush that noisy toilet all by herself? As soon as she realized that she would have help from a "nice" and "pretty" teacher, the love affair with going to class by herself began. The little one is growing up, and learning a few things along the way.

Isn't this a strange, moss-covered rock?

Anna was sometimes strangely quiet about her activities at class. Kind of like spending a night with Nana and Papa, the same rule seemed to apply: what happens at drama class stays at drama class. It was her time with her new friends, who she made right away, and with her beloved teacher. We would get little glimpses into her world through an occasional nonsensical song or some strange quote like "isn't this a strange, moss-covered rock?" And with that we'd smile and nod in agreement.

She left with a souvenir that week: her own strange, moss-covered rock

So Anna's journey into summer camp taught her mom and dad several lessons. It's OK to actually do "traditional" kid activities during summer, travel to the world of make believe can be powerful and local, and we'll do it again. And until this class I couldn't imagine the days of kindergarten that will greet us in one year, but they're coming, and she'll be ready. Luckily, her parents have one year to prepare.