By Amanda
We started something recently with my 3-year-old that we are already regretting. She announced to us that she was going to be a magician. First she dons a pink cape that she calls her "magic cape." Then she hides an object -- a small toy, a teacup, a ball, beneath a straw hat on the floor. She closes her eyes and waves a broomstick (the poor man's wand) above the hat.
"Abracadabra, Alakazam, make the toy disappear," she says repeating a line no doubt from a cartoon.
Quickly one of us, usually myself, or my older daughter, takes away the object and hides it behind our back.
"I did it," she screams, "I really did it. I'm magic!"
Then she repeats the process and we return the object beneath the hat. She is equally delighted when she removes the hat and sees that the object is back in its original place. The only caveat is that when we're not in the room and she tries to do it, she gets extremely frustrated.
"It won't work Mommy!" She yells from her bedroom.
This immediately guilts one of us (usually me) into running from the kitchen back into her room and assisting in the process. After all, I can't bear to see her heart broken. Of course I am very careful and quick with my hands so that she does not uncover the ruse.
The other day the magic trick was on me. Apparently, I wasn't quick enough or her eyes were not shut tightly, and she saw me remove the object.
"Mommy," she scolded. "You got to be faster. You can't let me see you do it or you will ruin the magic!"
The real magic here is that she fooled of all of us into believing she believed and in the process made us do what she wanted us to do. This is the mark of a true magician.
Amanda lives in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters.
My husband,Rich,paints and collects 25mm lead war figures. Our nephew,Ryan,who is almost 9,loves Rich's toy soldiers.
Whenever we go to visit,Rich puts a few more soldiers in Ryan's "magic box" which Ryan delights in opening the next morning. He knows there are more soldiers in the box after Rich has come to visit but we don't think he realized that Rich puts them in there.
We have all said that one day,when Ryan is 30 and married,he'll be staring at the box and his wife will ask what is wrong. He will say,"My magic box isn't working. Uncle Rich was here yesterday but there are no new soldiers in the box!"
Your daughter is pretty clever. I'd watch out for her!....lol.
Posted by: Robin P | October 04, 2006 at 11:41 AM
LOL!! What smart little girl you have there. Hehehe. Kids can't be cute and trying all in the same breath can't they.
Posted by: Tammy | October 04, 2006 at 11:24 AM
She sounds pretty clever - watch out!
Posted by: Shelley | October 04, 2006 at 01:30 AM
Oh my gosh. Kids know what they want and they know how to get it. They are truly magic!
Posted by: Jenn | October 03, 2006 at 06:06 PM