Eclectic Echoes

This summer Johann has had a lot of time for pretend play. About a week ago, I made tortillas. Johann put on his cowboy hat and then got his squirt gun and stick horse. He was Johann the Kid, the orneriest tortilla rustler this side of the Mississippi. He rides his horse into the kitchen, tries to distract me or has Eric distract me, steals a fresh tortilla, then gallops back to his hide-out to enjoy his appetizer.

As we sift the gravel out of the dirt in the garden, we come across worms now. Last year there were no worms. Johann was concerned about the worms being taken from their homes, so we began what we affectionately refer to as the Worm Rescue and Relocation Program. Whenever we find a worm, we give it to Johann to put in another part of the garden. This ritual took on a new twist last week when Johann was running with a dowel he was pretending was a spear. He was a prehistoric human hunting for food.

I asked him who he was. Was he Johann the Barbarian today? Yes, Mommy!!! Eric explained that the Romans used that term to refer to anyone who wasn’t Roman and stood up against the regime. That just gave Johann even more purpose. Now he was Johann the Barbarian, Rescuer and Protector of all oppressed earth worms everywhere! We suddenly became the Romans and Johann had to save the earth worms from us.

Hours later he was the new Lone Ranger, riding his stick horse around the house. We came full circle when it was time to make tortillas again a few days later. Johann the Kid got away with 3 tortillas before dinner. But he shared with his sidekick, Daring Daddy, so that was OK. There was one time they ate so many that there was barely enough left for dinner!