Playing Games with Harry
<p class="">Harry’s newest favorite game is actually a series of games. It all starts with Nighttime. We lie on my bed, he sighs and says, “Ah nighttime, go to sleep,” and we pretend to sleep. Sometimes he rolls on his side, sometimes he tucks his h
Harry’s newest favorite game is actually a series of games. It all starts with Nighttime. We lie on my bed, he sighs and says, “Ah nighttime, go to sleep,” and we pretend to sleep. Sometimes he rolls on his side, sometimes he tucks his hands under his head (which he’s done since infancy), and sometimes he snores. Then, anywhere from 3-10 seconds later, he sits up, sometimes with a bewildered “huh?”, sometimes with a yawn and a pat of his mouth, sometimes by leaning over and smacking Noah’s bedside table a la alarm clock, and we are awake again. This can go on indefinitely.
After a while, Nighttime transitions into Who’s at the Door? I have to grab one of the throw pillows from the bed and hold it in front of my face like a door. He stands up and walks to the foot of the bed, back turned, and waits. Then I knock on the pillow. He walks back up, answers the door, and I either deliver pizza, mail or packages. He closes the door. Repeat.
Inevitably, Who’s at the Door? becomes Monster at the Door, which quickly devolves into Monster Fight. Today he brought things full circle by wrapping up the session with Monster Nighttime. I was only able to extract myself for breakfast by offering YouTube kids on my phone while he lays in my bed.
Another amusing game is Doctor George. (Harry’s name is actually George Harris.) For his second birthday, his godparents Nick and Megyn got him a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, which he drives about the house regularly—let me tell you, that thing turns on a dime. Anyway, he likes to store little bits and bobs in what we refer to as the boot. One day Noah hurt his toe, and Harry drove in, got out, selected a cotton ball from the boot, and tended his father’s wounds. Thus Doctor George was born.
Now any time anyone or any animal (stuffed or real) has an injury, an owie, or a booboo, we call Doctor George. Doctor George: He Makes House Calls! He drives onto the scene, gets out, closes the door, puts one hand on the roof and the other on his hip and announces “I’m here” in a deep, serious voice. Even if he runs into a “trappic jam,” Doctor George will always make it.
Doctor George attends to his patients with cotton balls, baby nail clippers (unopened), various small plastic bottle lids, an actual play baby bottle, etc. Sometimes, if it’s an especially bad case, he’ll finish up with a kiss.
Unfortunately, most of the time Doctor George’s car breaks down as he’s trying to leave, and his brothers must deliver petrol or mechanical assistance to get that thing going again. He must always be ready.