Jungle Fever

Yeah, we got it. Thanks to Aunt Allison's fabulous birthday present, I think we will be looking back on this summer as "The Summer of the Moglis".

For those who are not down the Disney lingo, Mogli is the little boy from Jungle Book (or "Dungle Dook" if you're Jon David). Actually, the correct Jungle terminology is "man cub", not boy. Eleanor would be sure to point that out.

So, it goes like this: Eleanor is "Mogli", Jon David is "Baby Mogli", Mommy is "Bageera", and Daddy is "Baloo". Jonathan does a mean Baloo impression.

Basically, the whole game is stripping down to your skivvies (or diapers in Baby Mogli's case), and walking around swinging your arms and legs like a monkey. The highlight is when we sing Bear Necessities or I Wanna be Just Like You. Oh, the Moglis love that. (And just to put your mind at rest, Mommy and Daddy are not required to go topless. It's strictly a Mogli thing.)

The princesses have been recruited for the game, too. Ariel and Belle are now completely neckie except for their plastic panties that won't come off. Phew. Except Eleanor says they're Tarzans, which must me a strange Backyardigans offshoot of the game. All I can say is Strawberry Shortcake and her friends better find a good place to hide.

Eleanor told me this morning that the treed area behind our house is no longer the "Hundred Acre Wood". No, it's now "The Jungle" and "it's full of 'jungle perils'". After breakfast, she wants to go swing on the vines.

In fact, right now it's 8:30 and the Moglis are just sitting down for breakfast. They are in full Mogli mode (just the skivvies), I know it should be a no-no, but I just don't have the heart to burst their Jungle bubble. Honestly after how stressful last summer, heck the last year has been, it's so great to just see them getting to be their own funny selves. Come on, it's summer, right? (Plus, I'm thinkin' this game may work nicely for the potty training!)

And I feel like this is their last hurrah before the real world comes crashing down on them in the fall. They will both be going to "school" 3 days a week and I'm pretty sure they'll have to wear clothes. So, come fall, we'll be singing a different tune, but right now, we're pretty happy to be singin' "Bear necessities, those bear ne-, bear ne-, cessities. Those simple bear necessities of life!"