Another Milestone of Play

Elise undressed and dressed 5 dolls a few weeks ago. 

We're talking dresses, pants, shirts, boots...plastic and cloth dolls...BY HERSELF...one of whom was mine and included taking off plastic shoes, bloomers and tights, and replacing bloomers and shoes...the tights have been making her insane for 6 months. This is a HUGE fine motor coup!!!! This is a milestone we couldn't have dreamt of a year ago! So proud and happy!!!!

This is one of the few things she can play alone.  She can play the snot out of electronics, but toys are a little trickier.  She likes to "match" things, grouping toys according to breed, color, or size.  So all the horses go together, all the yellows, all the giants, all the smalls.  She will proudly tell me "Look!  They match!!"  She will feed toys.  I had to put together a small buffet for her dolphin tonight, as he was very hungry and air wasn't appropriate food.  She will listen to books. 

But she loves to dress dolls.  For the longest time she made me do it, because she didn't have the motor skills.  But now, she does and she will spend forever changing stuff out.  And then changing them back, because the dolls preferred their favorites.  I know this because Elise tells me. 

Recently, she decided to seat them for tea.  Last summer her snobby dolls demanded china.  But this year, I am to serve them on a tin set.  I hope that her doll play will involve speaking parts someday...but for now, I am glad she growing up and allowing dolls to invent preferences so wildly.  I am sure it's her allowances, because one of her dolls has a penchant for ball gowns...something that something that is not usually Elise.