magic

madelyn covered up several of her toys with blankets, shouted 'magic words,' and then was disappointed when she looked under the blankets to see that her toys were still there.  we had watched two olivia episodes that just happened to be about magic tricks and madelyn was trying to make her toys 'disappear'.  as her disappointment started to get into the 'fit' range, i explained that magic is pretend and more of a 'trick'. 

to drive home my point i showed her how i could cover a toy with a blanket and make it 'disappear' and then 'reappear'.  not only was she delighted, but once i taught her how to do it she had a new game that we have played every day since. 

while mason and maddux are napping in the afternoon, i build madelyn a fort and we line up all her toys and dolls to watch olivia's magic show.  madelyn and i take turns helping olivia make things 'disappear' (olivia has a magic wand).  when it is madelyn's turn i have to voice the other friends' surprise at the missing item and wonder if it can ever be brought back - per madelyn's script for me to repeat.

to make it even more show-like i showed madelyn how to use her small flashlight like a spotlight for olivia's stage.  (of course i had to explain what a spotlight was first.)  love.