Find the Clock

Julia had a great time with Auntie Caitlyn this weekend, and didn't want a moment to pass without the two of them playing together, to the extent that she would come up with made-up games on the spot just to keep the fun going. As in:

JULIA: Auntie Caitlyn, do you want to play Find the Clock? It's a game I just made up!
CAITLYN: Uh, sure.
JULIA: (searching around the living room) Okay, what can be our clock? (picking up various items and discarding them.)

She finally settled on a clock:

Baby Dashiell's potty. I can clearly see its resemblance to a clock; good choice, Julia. She double-checked with me first ("Uh, Mommy, can this be a clock?") and when I gave her idea the thumbs-up, the game began.

First up, Julia hid the clock while Auntie Caitlyn closed her eyes and counted. Her chosen hiding spot:



Julia could hardly contain her excitement about her hiding place:

CAITLYN: Eight...nine...ten (opening her eyes.)
JULIA: Auntie Caitlyn, it's in something ORANGE!
CAITLYN: (deliberately passing by the jack-o-lantern, pretending to look) Hmm, where can that clock be?
JULIA: (jumping up and down right next to the jack-o-lantern.)
CAITLYN: (looking under the blankets on the couch) It's not here... it's not here...
JULIA: (jumping up and down and pointing directly inside the jack-o-lantern) Auntie Caitlyyyyyyyn!!
CAITLYN: Oh! There it is! You tricked me!

Next, it was Caitlyn's turn to hide the clock. She put Baby Dashiell's potty up on top of our Egyptian drum that we keep on our bookshelf. I think Julia expected Caitlyn to be just as generous in helping Julia find it as Julia herself had been:

JULIA: (opening her eyes and taking a quick glance around) Uh, um, Auntie Caitlyn, um, what color is it?
CAITLYN: What color is it?? It's blue!
ME: I think she wants you to tell her what color thing you hid it in.
CAITLYN: Oh, well, I'll give you a hint. It's up very high.
JULIA: (glancing around up high) Uh, Auntie Caitlyn, where did you hide it?
CAITLYN: You have to look for it!

I think the power of Julia's imagination is even greater than any of us thought, and the potty did actually transform itself into a clock in her eyes, because she next went into the kitchen and asked Ethan, "Uh, Daddy, have you seen a blue potty that has a clock on top of it?"

After a very big hint from me ("Look up as high as you can on the bookshelf and see if you find it"), the hidden clock was found, and the Julia resumed her job as hider. She continued to pose some real stumpers for Caitlyn, and figured out that if she kept her eyes slightly open while counting she was able to find that clock much faster than during her first go-round. All in all I think Find the Clock was a great success; definitely recommended as a party game for any of you expecting visitors!