We're Not in Kansas Any More

 

A few weeks ago, Ted and I were in Better Read Than Dead, looking through their gorgeous stock, when Ted came across this version of The Wizard of Oz.  That was it.  End of the road.  He was hooked.

As you will no doubt remember, Ted has loved the story of Oz for a while.  His commissioning of a Dorothy dress was an obvious sign, granted, but the slow-burning focus exploded into a full fireworks display of passion and enthusiasm since buying this particular book.  We have another few versions of the novel, but this was the first full, unabridged version we owned and Ted insisted on all 200+pp to be read to him over just two days. 

 

I remembered that I had found some Oz material at one of my fabric markets, so I offered to make him a little Oz pillow.  It is now a coveted item, placed with reverence on top of his bed along with Snugglebunny, Special Bear and his Ted pillow.  The 'pool room' for Ted is obviously his bed and sleep is starting to feel a little crowded - this is a child with a lot of love to give.



He loves to role play it, talk about it, think about it, read about it and dress up as if he was in it.  Which brings us to today.  Today was Ted's turn to do his storytelling in his Transition class. And of course he chose his new Oz book.  But the night before his storytelling he started crying and crying - sobbing, really.  Struggling to explain his emotional state, we realised that he was just, truly, completely and utterly overwhelmed by his desire to do his storytelling right there and then.  He was crying and asking to go to school "every single day" so that he could do his storytelling "all the time".  And then, just to reinforce the point, he woke up at about 1am and stayed awake until around 3.30am or so, whispering to me that he wanted to "get up now and get my Dorothy dress and shoes ready and then I can just play until it is day time and I will be ready for Transition nice and early". 

 

He was not interested in having me take a photo of him this morning so here's a photo of him from Josie's party recently.  He wore his Dorothy dress and red sandals, but yesterday we upped the immersion factor by (as it turns out) an intolerably high degree by purchasing a pair of shiny, glittery, silver slip-on slippers.

 

 He loves these slippers SO much.  In fact after we came home from purchasing them yesterday, we were all immediately involved in a larger-than-life Wizard of Oz fantasy game.  The front room was Kansas, Harriet was Toto and Ted was, of course, Dorothy.  James and I basically filled out all other roles as required.

 

 This is Dorothy, sleeping off the effects of the poppy field (aka the red cushions in the playroom) on the grass as s/he awaited to recover from the intoxicating effects of said poppies. 

  

 And this is Oz, (transformed from her role as Toto) who sat out in the Emerald City (aka the outdoor setting), dispensing terrible news such as the need for killing witches and other sundry events.

 

And this?  This is an adorable little Dorothy and Toto that Harriet made for Ted.  I have no idea on the history or reasoning for this gorgeous little symbol of sibling love.  It just existed in the play room after I came inside from painting the exterior of our house on the weekend.  Sweet?  You bet.

 

And this?  Hey - this is Ted.  Man, this is SO Ted.