All the world's a stage

Bean and Squish have effectively turned our fireplace hearth into a stage. There are lights that shine down on it, and the hearth is raised high enough to make it the perfect spot to act out their dramas. Squish mostly just claps and babbles, laughing at Bean's silly faces. But Bean takes this very seriously. She spins tales of heroic princesses, beautiful brides, and puppies who need to eat/sleep/scratch every 15 seconds or so. Every so often, Bean will pause to ask, "are you watching?"

When I was little, my sister and I used to act out elaborate productions. Being the older child, I reserved the best roles for myself. I was the boss, and she was the secretary. I was the queen, and she was the princess. We both grew up in ballet classes, choirs, and drama clubs, and both have a love for the stage. My sister is much better than I am at all facets of stage arts... and in fact, she has a job where she's on stage very often. So these mini-dramas make me wonder where my girls will be in 20 years.

Now every time we turn on the lights over the fireplace, Squish happily claps her hands and climbs "on stage." Bean runs to find something she can use for a costume. I guess the apples don't fall very far from the tree.