Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/once-upon-a-story/5021428/
When my daughter, Carey, was just over two years old, she had a special friend, Adam, with whom she spent a great deal of time. Adam was about a year older than Carey, and lived with his parents and younger sister in a very old home that his parents were restoring. The home was large with beautiful, drafty nine-over-six windows, soft and scratched wide-pine floors, and fireplaces in most of the rooms, including the kitchen. Woods and fields and gardens with vegetables, herbs, and flowers surrounded the home. Adam’s family owned a horse �" a Shetland pony, really �" named Grace. They also owned sheep, chickens, a dog, and some cats. The dog was named Hannah. One cat was named Russia. Carey called her Brush Kitty.We spent a great deal of time with this family when Carey was two. And during this time we started a routine, perhaps one rainy, indoor afternoon, where I would create oral stories for Carey. The stories evolved easily because of our familiarity with the surroundings and the family. One of the stories went something like this:
“Once upon a time there was a young girl named Carey. Carey was little, but not too little. She had ...