Ivan tells stories

Ivan has become quite a story teller over the last few weeks. I've noticed that he takes tidbits of info from stories, songs and random things he heard and then spins them into a story of his own.

The stories always seem to revolve around giants, giant things, him running away from things, things trying to eat him up or eating something, etc.

Tonight, at bed time, after we read a story--a really cute book he had to read for his preschool book club, Dinner at the Panda Palace, and turned off the lights--he asked me to tell him a story. This was the first time he asked me to tell him a story. I introduced that concept a while ago in an effort to cut down on reading multiple stories and trying to get him to sleep. But he always refused to listen to me tell him a story, and insisted on reading another one. Then tonight, after I cuddled him and Medic, he asked for a story, and then insisted to tell it to him "now." Since my want-to-be-creative-but isn't-so-on-demand-brain couldn't think fast, I pasted together a story based on us finding a tropical turtle in our back yard (which by the way would make a good picture book, if I can get around to writing it). He liked it.

"I have a story," he then said. I wish I had a camera to record him. He talked about a giant cat, and a small cat, and the giant cat trying to eat him, but he "runned" fast past the cars, and the cat was slow, somehow then jack and jill went up to mountain...(he talked about that yesterday too, but he modified it from the song)....

"I have another story," he then said and basically proceeded to tell me a similar tale of fantastical animals and events, but this time featuring a giant turtle.

Then he finally quieted down and after some serious tossing and turning fell asleep.

He seems to have really missed me over the few days he was away. He told Andy several times today that "I want mama," he told me on the phone from Florida "mama, I want you," and my mom said he told her that a few times as well. So tonight, Ivan had a special time with mama. We ate, and then we built a bridge out of blocks, and then I tucked him to bed.)