Cuz

Ainsley started talking about "Cuz" late spring/early summer.  At first, I just thought she was referring to Lani or Drake when saying something about "Cuz".  Then, she started talking about Cuz more often.  I finally asked her if she was talking about Lani, to which she replied "No Mommy".  I asked her if she was talking about Drake, to which she replied "No Mommy".  I asked her who she was talking about and she would just keep saying "Cuz", until she would get so frustrated because I didn't know who "Cuz" was.  After asking a few questions, I quickly realized "Cuz" was an imaginary friend.

She was constantly asking if she could go to Cuz's house, and I finally asked where Cuz lived and she told me Bluffs.  Joel and I both have tried to get more information out of her about Cuz, but she really won't say much.  I've come to the conclusion that Cuz is a boy.  She talked about Cuz quite often at first, sometimes multiple times a day.  There would be other times where she'd go a day or two without any mention of Cuz.

She tells us the most elaborate stories about Cuz.  One evening while eating supper, she told us that "The witch got her cuz and then the witch fell down the stairs and hit its head."  She's so animated while telling these stories, too.  Joel and I just look at each other while she tells us.

The week before the witch story, she told us "Cuz pushed her down the stairs and she fell down and hurt her lip and it bled.  Her Cuz had to sit in time out for pushing her."

Around the time school started, I hardly heard anything about Cuz.  We went a few weeks without the mention of Cuz at all, until last week in the car.

Earlier last week, she was looking at Lily's picture book, which has a picture of Thom and Jamie on their wedding day.  She came into the bathroom one morning and said:  "Mommy, you and Daddy got married."  I told her we did.  She then said:  "Grandma Shelly and Papa Mark got married."  I told her they did.  She then said:  "Uncle Thommy-boy and Aunt Jamie got married."  I told her they did.  She then said:  "Mommy, I want to get married."  I told her she had to get older first.  She then said:  "Mommy, when I get older, I want to marry Daddy."  I told her it didn't work that way, but she could ask her Daddy.  Ainsley loves looking at our wedding pictures and asks quite a few questions about getting married.  Fast forward a few days later.

We were on our way to school, and I was asking her what she was going to do at school that day.  She didn't really reply to my question, but rather said:  "Mommy, me and Cuz are going to get married when I get older."  I about lost it.  I turned around and just looked at her.  She hadn't brought up Cuz in almost a MONTH!  I asked her who told her that, and she told me Cuz told her.

I know I never had an imaginary friend, and Joel says he didn't either.  I don't know the "right" questions to ask her when she talks about Cuz.  I usually just shake my head and say a few "yeahs" when she talks about him.  I've never caught her pretending to talk to someone that wasn't really there, so I don't know where she comes up with these things!

When you're around Ainsley, you constantly have to be on your toes.  You never know what's going to come out of her mouth!  Some of my favorite phrases that has come out of Ainsley's mouth recently are:

"Are you kidding me, Mommy?!"

"Hey Babe" (when talking to me).  Joel calls me Babe, and she's picked it up from him.

She's been asking us what time it is recently.   If we tell her it's 10:37, she'll have to go look at the clock and she'll say:  "I think it's NOT 10:37.  I think it's 14:72."

She no longer refers to Grandma Shelly as "Grandma Shelly", but rather as "your Mom" when talking to me.  She'll ask:  "Mommy, did your Mom get me this?"  Or, "Mommy, can we go to your Mom's today?"