Wally and Molly

Kate has taken an interest in Jack's Wally and Molly stuffed toys. Wally is a mini-version of the Red Sox' team mascot, Wally the Green Monster, and Molly is an effort to further cash in on fan interest...I mean, Wally's girlfriend. Anyway, Jack had started bringing Wally to school as a toy to nap with, and when Kate developed a similar fondness for him, we steered her toward Molly. Now of course she loves both of them. Anyway. Jack doesn't mind letting Kate play with Molly, and so she has been.

Kate's funny. First, she calls Molly, Wally. She still calls Wally Wally, but she also calls Molly Wally. Really. So this week I'd bring her into school, clutching Molly, and then in the afternoon I'd pick her up, and they'd tell me that Molly was in her jacket sleeve on its hook, and as I got the jacket, Kate would be saying, "Wally?" And then: "Wally?" And I'd say, Yes, Molly! And I'd give it to her, and she'd say, "Wally!" And sometimes it was "Wally, Wal-ly, Wah-ly!" And "Wah-ly, wah-ly, wah-ly!"

So she's been sleeping with Molly, and walking around with both Wally and Molly whenever Jack leaves Wally unattended. And it's pretty cute, because she at times treats them like her little dolls. (She really hasn't shown any interest in the babies ever since one of their heads fell off.) Today I gave her her sippy cup of milk, and she had some, and then she wanted to give some to Wally and Molly....she sat on the kitchen floor and held the milk up to their mouths.

Sometimes she'd just walk over to me with one of them, announce their name (It was always "Wally!") and then wander away. Today she also walked up with Molly, caught my eye, and then had her doing little claps. By which I mean, she used her hands to make Molly's little green hands clap. And she provided a soundtrack, too. "Tep, tep, tep," she said, happily. "Tep, tep, tep."

Emily told me Kate was doing this last night, too. When she was putting Kate to bed, at one point, she went in and soothed her a little. She rocked Kate, who was also holding Molly at the time. Kate held up Molly to her, and clapped her little hands together. And laughed and smiled.

"Tep, tep, tep. Tep, tep, tep."