Cedars' best friend Laura

I never had an imaginary friend growing up. I do although remember wanting to be just like Harriet the Spy after watching a play at the Minneapolis Children's Theatre. I remember immediately falling in love with her every move. I remember fondly carrying around a little notebook in my pocket to write down all the clues within my imaginary spy life! I remember going to bed dreaming I was her. I remember this same thing happening after watching Pippi Long Stocking. Cedar also has a love for Pippi after seeing her old movies. In fact he truly believes she can lift a horse and throw him into a sea!!!! I love how much Cedar trusts in characters.

When Cedar was born I hoped he would have some imaginary friends. And then Orien and Truth. I don't think they have any. They believe in gnomes and fairies but have yet to truly see any. Just last week we were at the park where a little boy has three imaginary friends..and it was so sweet to watch him talk about them being on the see saw with him that was the boy named 11:45! (apparently the time he always eats lunch)

Now Cedar has a new best friend. Her name is Laura Engels Wilder. Truly she is his new friend. She was a surprise friend! He was obsessed with the series Magic Tree House. He listened to them when he woke, during quiet time and went to bed. At Christmas I had encouraged Mimi to get him the Little House on the Prairie tapes. From Christmas on he has fallen deeply in love with Laura, Ma, Pa, Carrie, Mary and Grace! I think if asked he could recite hours of stories as he has now listened to over 24 CD's. I am sure he listens to at least 3 hours a day of Laura's life! For a while now he has been begging us to help him build a kid size log cabin to play in and make sure to make it just like Pa. No nails just slit wood puzzled perfectly together! (We are going to do this for Cedars Birthday party!!)  Cedar has even mentioned at times who his friends are in "real" life and Laura popped up at  number three,  then the rest of the Engels family before going on to local buddies!! It has become normal conversation, almost his only conversation with me during car rides and hikes, lunch time to tell me stories about Laura. He says if he had to be someone it would be her! Some of my favorite topics have been:

While Jody and I were laying our hard wood floors Cedar says " Pa cut all his own lumber, milled and and layed out the floors in in one day!"
Or how much Laura desperately wants to be outside with Pa, working on the farm doing chores, etc"
How boring Sundays are. They aren't allowed to run or play in the house. Laura hates Sundays!
Laura really wants to help build their homes, drive the wagon, and she just isn't supposed to do those things!
How Mary picks on Laura, and Mary isn't fun. She is blind but as Cedar said " her fingers can see to knit all day"
That Laura got a spanking. (something he knows nothing about) but it was a special spanking on her Birthday!
Or the many more about animals, problems, moves, places they have lived, friends Laura plays with.
The huge Minnesota blizzards there were so full of snow the trains couldn't get through for days.

or just now as I am typing Cedar comes wandering up to me holding a pack of nuts and says " May I have these mom, may I?" and I say, "why did you say it that way?" and he replies " Laura has to use "May I" when asking her Ma for anything!"

I am so thankful for Laura. She has really completed Cedars love for books and stories. I see a little guy who if just for a day if not forever would love to live as she does. Horses, wagons, gardening, hunting, wandering, friending Native Americans, and living outside. I can't wait to hear of the next way he relates his world with hers.