imagination

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!
~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

my babies have vivid, non-stop, outrageously fantastic imaginations. just recently, Norah, has decided that she has a baby in her belly, that she will soon need a husband to pay the bills, that her Magna Doodle is her homework pad, and that a cat jumps over her bed in the middle of the night and he (the cat) scares her. this cat thing has been happening frequently for a few weeks now. we don't have a cat. we don't like cats at our house. we don't know anyone with a cat (well, aunt j and her kids have one but we don't ever see it).
so where is this coming from? i mean, how can a little girl that so loathes the aloof feline take such a keen interest in 'Garfield: The Movie'? let me tell you about this cat.
right before bed most nights, we all curl up on the couch. we tell each other jokes and giggle. it's a happy time. then, Norah says:
"i don't like cats, mom. i can't sleep in my bed tonight cause this cat will jump over my bed and scare me."
"Oh baby, mommy and daddy won't let that cat scare you. we promise. and where is this cat coming from?"
N: outside my room.
me: outside your room or outside your house?
N: outside my room.
we usually have this same conversation until i get frustrated and tell her, Baby, there are no cats in this house. i will NOT let a cat come in your room and jump over your bed. now, it's night-night time, i'll carry you to your room and tuck you in. come on, sweetheart." and finally she'll pacify me and let me carry her like an infant to her room.
but these explanations are never good enough for her. how else do you explain that A) this is probably just a dream you are having and mommy is sorry that it scares you or B) your imagination is running wild and that's a good thing?
any thoughts? i'll wait... simmer on that one and get back to me soon.

now, MP. he can't quite verbalize what or where his imagination is going or seeing, yet. so, i like to watch him a lot to see how it's working out for him. i've noticed he really enjoys his closet. it's like a make-shift fort. it's fairly large and the closet walls are lined with shelves on one side and halfway lined with shelves on the other. in the middle of the closet is a type of bookcase thingy. and every possible nook and cranny is filled to the brim with toys, BOY toys. it's pretty neat in there actually. but, can you imagine what this must look like to my toddler? it's a wonderland! i've seen his eyes light up as he walks through-soaking in all the colors and textures and shelves. (i know now he looks at the shelves with such awe because he can climb them-almost to the top-terrifying!) i've seen him read his dinosaurs books. i've witnessed a train racing a bulldozer. i've watched his ride-on dump truck become a stepping stool to reach his puzzles. (i had to intervene on that one. i couldn't have him falling, now could i?)
i've spotted a dragon sliding down a 3-tiered parking garage. i've noticed he knows where every single toy is in that closet, at all times.

i soooo want to immerse myself in my children's thoughts and views of the world around them. i want to be able to feel what they feel, see what they see, filter the world just as they do...
but, i can't. therefore, i must rely on my detective skills and keep my ears open for them to show me...to see and feel and filter. and be resolute in helping to cultivate their imaginations.