I am not actually awake. I know my arms and legs are moving, and I drove into work and grunted hello to my coworker, but this is not an awake feeling.

ION, there was an 8GB iPod Touch on my keyboard when I came in this morning. I suspect this is our new office iPod (to show off our content to new media clients at pitch meetings), but until someone comes in and confirms it, I'm going to assume it's a present to me for being so nice.

Hmm. See, I'd be all, "iPod? What iPod? There wasn't anything on my keyboard when I came in!"

Mystery solved - it belongs to a co-worker who knew I wanted to play with one. But it is not a present, so I had to give it back. What a tease!

Play theory suggests that this is mostly true. But also that dolls (and cars) both serve as an entree for dramatic play, which is where kids can socialize and practice/experiment with social roles (dramatic play later serves as a stepping stone for early literacy). Girls also control play more often than boys. (stuff like where girls assign roles "you be the baby and I'll be the mom." "you say this" etc)

This fits with what I see. I tend to think of toy cars and trains as dolls because that's how my kids use them. Cinderella will have conversations with the Thomas trains. Of course the trains also involve making cool tracks, and Isaac can spend lots of time building.

I also see Franny controlling their play. My MiL thinks Franny is bossy, but I don't see her that way at all, she's just creating scenes to act out just like me and my friends did. I wonder if it's that my MiL only had boys and so didn't see so much of that kind of play.

Well, there's directive, and there's bossy. I had a friend who told me every line I was supposed to say, which was annoying!

Well, there's directive, and there's bossy. I had a friend who told me every line I was supposed to say, which was annoying!

My god-daughters cousin does this. And god-daughter is 7 and bossy cousin is 5. Although, bossy cousin does pretty well playing with me, because, as a grown-up, I have no imagination.

Anyway, Ivor also worked at the ice cream shops, as did Ian, I think. It was A Thing in that circle.

Oh yeah! I saw Henry & Ian MacKaye do a spoken word thing at the Rat in Boston in 1986 and all they talked about was their days at the ice cream shop and the crazy (disgusting high school boy) hi-jinx they got up to there.

Well she has strong feelings about keeping to the "script", but she's really not that bossy.

Well, there's directive, and there's bossy. I had a friend who told me every line I was supposed to say, which was annoying!

Jesse, with girls, that's actually pretty common. "You say blah blah blah." and if it's not done correctly, you get "no!! Like this! Now you say it."

It's hysterical.

Noah was extra cute this morning.

What wasn't cute this morning was having to go back home after dropping Noah at Lori's because I forgot my goddamn wallet. Again. Normally I'd be all, "whatever" but, I have to group I'm leading at UCLA tonight and I needed gas and I need to pay for parking.

So, since I'm already super late, I'm at home making breakfast and leaving late.

Henry Rollins once worked at a pet store called Friendly Beasties. Really. He once tried to sell me a kitten.

Also, you know what costume for a Roomba should be available? A Dalek costume.