Peek-a-boo

I love talking to my grandchild on the phone.  Little bugger is 2.  She's more fun than should be legally allowed.  

I've always embraced technology.  I may be a digital immigrant, but I love the ability that the technology brings to address issues.  Life's a big puzzle.  Technology gives me the tools to solve the puzzles as they come up. 

Imagination and creativity is how I connect with my late mother - human connection is how I channel my late father. Playing with the munchkin channels both while healing all of the generational trauma in one fell swoop.  It's a magical little exercise. 

With every call I try to find new ways to interact with her.  We've been playing Peek-a-Boo for a while.  Munchkin plays the game in a variety of different ways depending on her mood.  I enjoy everything about this game with her: paying attention and collecting the clues that make me realize how this is fun for her; finding the things she can and can't do - watching that little brain work - and the little human have fun.  That is the life! 

And my biggest joy is knowing that his little human, on some days, does not even have her eyes open when she gains consciousness in the morning - and the first words out of her mouth - with sleep in her eyes - barely awake are  "Call Oma phone" 

When we first started to talk on the phone, she'd walk out of the view of the phone for "Peek-a-boo".  That was very effective for the game - and she didn't talk all that much.  She delighted in me calling for her and "looking" for her.  Sometimes, we'd play hide and go seek with the help of an adult. She'd hide in the room, and the adult would carry the phone around as we're both trying to find her - under the table or behind the curtain. 

Sometimes she'd cover herself with a blanket.  Sometimes, she'd cover the phone.  She does understand that, if her eyes don't see - the cell phone (?) - I don't see her.  I love seeing how her brain works these things out. 

This one - her covering her eyes in front of the screen was a first today.  We were playing peek-a-boo in different ways, when suddenly, this is what she does. 

I started calling her name "Munchkin, where are you?", but she didn't budge.  She's playing the game, enjoying it, but she's not willing to be found quite, yet.  Clearly, she wanted me to do something else.  But what can I do?  I am on the phone! It's not like I can poke her, walk around and look for her.  

So I started describing what I was seeing: "I see some fingers; where is the baby?",  "Blonde hair, but no baby?" - "I see hands and fingernails, thumbs and pinkies, but no baby." - "Where is the baby?" - "I see snowflakes on a red sweater...."

What is she waiting for me to say so she'll peek out?  

The most fun games are the ones where the unexpected happens.  That's when you learn about how their little brain works - and it turns out that - this moment was NOW - I had just just f'd up BAD!

She was offended!

She was so offended that she interrupted the game - glared at me, raised her white-snowflake-on-red-soft-long-sleeve-something-clad arm up to her mother to show her and join the baby in protest!

"No! - NO! Not sweater - pajamas! " She proclaims. 

"Oh, I'm sorry - pajamas. "

We settle back into the game. 

"Where's the baby?" "I see a snowflake on a red pajama - what else is on the pajama?  A Santa Claus?  A beard? I see an elbow - and - oh, do I see an eye peeking through." 

"There she is!"

I love this kid!