Max and Elly are at that awesome stage where they love to mimic everything they see big people doing. They love to sit behind the wheel of Kakasii’s Land Cruiser and pretend they are driving. If you ask Max where he’s going he’ll answer, “On safari.” If you ask where he’s going on safari he’ll say, “to Serengeti.”

They love to spoon imaginary food into their Cabbage Patch dolls’ mouths, feeding their watoto (babies). They love to roll out their homemade play dough and say they are cooking chipati (flat bread).

A few days ago they were upstairs in our bedroom and discovered a pile of reusable “boogie wipes” I had cut from some old shirts. Max threw the pile on the floor, squatted down next to them and started to “wash his nguo” (clothes).

Elly joined in, washing the small cloths, wringing the pretend water out of them and using the foot of our bed as their imaginary clothesline.

Elly took this part quite seriously, making certain to hang each cloth out properly.

Then she would tell me, “Don’t touch, Mommy. These wet, Mommy.”

Once the imaginary laundry was dry, it was time to fold. Then it all went back on the floor to start over again.

Wouldn’t it be great if all laundry was imaginary? And dirty dishes, too? And college tuition bills?