It all started a couple weeks ago on the long drive to New York City.  Ezra was growing restless and was on the verge of a complete meltdown.  The kid had been strapped in his carseat for hours and was understandably miserable.

Pause for a second…every kid probably has a stuffed animal or blankie or something that serves as a “security blanket.”  Ezra, over the last 4 years, has accumulated what I call “the entourage.”  The lineup:  2 small blue blankets with bear heads, 2 blankets, a puppy and a monkey.

I’m no stranger to jumping in the backseat of the van to entertain/soothe my frustrated kiddos, but this time, I put the entourage to work.  I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier…I put on a silly voice and the puppy and the monkey started talking.  It flipped a switch, and Ezra immediately started carrying on a conversation with his stuffed animals.  He was laughing hysterically within a matter of seconds, and quickly gave them their names…Ollie the puppy and Mr. Monkey Man the…monkey…obviously.

Over the next couple of days, Ollie and Mr. Monkey Man began eating breakfast with us, they prayed with us, they put him to bed, they developed unique personality traits and mannerisms…they became his friends.  (Tangent:  Ezra has imaginary friends as well…Ezra informed me that Eblitz, his primary imaginary friend, is currently on vacation.  I’m pretty sure Eblitz’s family, Eblit, Faloolahoop and Mike Motorblender are with him too.  So Ollie & Mr. Monkey Man have filled the void.)  And over the last couple of weeks, this daddy has had a blast entertaining his son with silly voices and stuffed animals.  Even Calla, who has an entourage of her own, is asking for “more Ollie.”

Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself for your kids…the joy that comes from making your kid off the charts happy is so worth it.  And no, my kid’s not crazy…he’s just creative.