Playing Favorites

I am Piper's favorite playmate and plaything!

Wait, did you read that? Go back and do it once more, I'll wait. *muzak plays*.

Okay, you get it now don't you? I AM HER FAVORITE!!!

I've read this line in many parenting books, articles and blogs "a child's favorite toy is their parent" and I always thought "yeah right, you've never met a kiddo with autism". Piper's first favorite toy was a bottle of mustard. Yup, I was upstaged by a mustard bottle. She took it with her everywhere in the house. She loved that darn thing! I even saw her write in the cement Piper + Mustard= BFF. Ok I'm kidding about that last part, but she really did dig the heck out of her mustard.

Fast forward about a year (aside: don't you wish you could actually do that sometimes?) and the mustard is replaced by a tire pressure gauge. Best. Toy. Ever.

This object loving perseveration continued until it settled around age three on : white kitty. A small beanie baby cat gifted to her by a cousin seemingly no different than any other stuffy except it was THE ONE. I quickly learned that no outing was complete without white kitty. Oh boy did I learn. White Kitty became the most important thing in our household aside from the people.

Until today. Today my gal asked me to play with her. YES. She. Did.

I was doing my own mommy thing per usual and picked up one of the toys I saw on the desk. It was a finger puppet she received for Christmas and I plopped it on my finger and gave it voice. "Hi I'm Marigold the Butterfly and I drink nectar". I expected the usual indifference but instead I got the present of a lifetime! She picked up the bat and joined in the pretend play. For a full half hour I had her complete and total engaged attention. WE PLAYED!

I feel like I just got an award, like I just was voted Mother of the year!

My daughter wants to play.  With me!!!!