So my 3yr old is telling me about the imaginary birthday party she is having with her dolls. "And all my friends are coming," she tells me, "Ashley and Felicity and Regan and Goneril and Courtney."
Now, to any outsider, those could well be the names of children in her preschool class. But to the well trained ear of Dad:- Ashley is Ashley Tinsdale, who plays Sharpay on High School Musical.
- Felicity is an American Girl doll. They do not have that one, they just like to read about her in the catalog.
- Regan and Goneril are King Lear's daughters. Yes, my 3yr old knows some Shakespeare. Sometimes Cordelia, the good daughter, makes an appearance as well.
- Courtney is the name of a woman at Daddy's work. She knows this because she once asked "Are there any girls at your work?" and I named the first two I could think of, Jessica and Courtney. Ever since then, those names have been part of the imaginary friends game.