We Can Be Heroes

Jake with his light saber, a fun squirt gun alternative.

Jake likes to play with his water pistols. Because I am his usual playmate, we don't play games where we squirt each other unless it is really hot outside (hey, I don't want to get all wet).

One of his favorite games is to pretend that our front porch is a fort. Now that he's getting into "Star Wars," it's become a Rebel hideout that we must protect from aliens and monsters. I am "Mommy Princess Looey" and he is "Captain Hero Jake." We spot aliens and monsters and then shoot them with our laser pistols, er, squirt guns.

Jake comes up with some really funny monsters. For example, the Yellow Slugula, which drips bright yellow slime wherever it goes. Or the Giant Green Farticus, which is as tall as a tree, bright green with bumpy skin, and lets out a giant fart with each step it takes. Or the Spiderificus, which is a giant spider that likes to eat chocolate.

Sometimes he gets so excited while we're running around fighting the alien monsters, that he just spews out names: "Mommy Princess! Watch out! it's the Goobershnorklegrrblmldfkl!"

The other day, we were getting our squirt guns and going outside to play:

J: "Mommy, you can be the hero and I will be the princess."
M: "Okay, but you know Princesses can be heroes, too."
J: "Oh! Then we'll both be heroes!"

And that's how we spent our evening after dinner...being heroes, making the world safe from the dreaded Goobershnorklegrrblmldfk.