Play at Breakfast with Alice and Michael

Miranda has a tiger.
Alice wants an ape.
Arta chooses a moose.
Richard selects a rhino.
Michael picks the giraffe.

Richard knew that he had to take Michael to the dentist -- a hard job for both the parent and the 3 1/2 year old child.

 To get a hook on Michael before the dreaded day of the dentist, Richard bought some toys at the toy store and introduced them to his kids as "daddy's toys".

He would only let them play with one toy at a time. He has been keeping them separate from the other toys.

Richard's trick worked at the dentist.  When Michael couldn't take sitting in that chair one second more, Richard would introduce one of the coveted daddy-toys, and Michael would turn his attention to the toy he hardly gets to touch and would be able to get through another uncomfortable moment in the dentist's chair.

I wanted to know what the toys that performed such a miracle looked like. This morning when I went over there to breakfast.  Richard went out to the car and brought them in, after much begging on my part.  Seven miniature plastic animals for one dollar.

And during this morning's play the rules still applied.  One toy per person, though Alice is quick and can grab a second when no one else is watching.  She had to put the one she snatched, back. Michael and Alice both beg to have two  animals at a time.  Richard won't relax his rules.  Miranda and I are more compliant, taking one when one is all that is allowed.

The animals begin to dialogue at the table.  Miranda's tiger is not the-grandest-tiger-in-the-jungle, I found.   He hasn't had time to get a velvet jacket or a pair of scarlet slippers with crimson linings from some unsuspecting child who has gone out to get butter at the market for his mother.

My moose (also known as twig-eater) was trying to make a deal with giraffe:  you eat the leaves and I will eat the branches.  A win-win for both.

All of that fun?  A steal of a deal for one dollar.

Arta