My almost 4 year old daughter and my niece go to ballet class together. Every Monday my Sister and I take turns driving these little 40 year old women trapped in 3 year old bodies to class. This week was my turn. This is how pick up went.

Dance teacher tells me, ” I am thinking about separating those two from each other in class.”

I am not surprised but I ask, “Really, why is that?”

Hesitantly, dance teacher says with a lowered voice, ” Well, does your niece have an imaginary friend? Like a little animal?”

“Yes, she does.” I reply, not worried because almost all my kids have had one. I am quite familiar with this little friend. “Was she talking about a little squirrel?”

Dance teacher again, “Thats the one! Well, the problem is that she makes your daughter babysit the ‘squirrel’ during class. So when it is Storie’s turn to dance she tries to carefully hold the ‘squirrel’ and do her pirouettes.”

I am now snorting my diet lemonade from my nose picturing my daughter trying to carefully watch an imaginary pet and dance at the same time.

” I tried to tell Storie to set the ‘squirrel’ down and get him after class, but your niece was yelling at her that he would get away. I think I need to separate them.” the Dance teacher explained.

“I’ll take care of it.” I assured her. So we got in the car and I explained that dance class is not the place for pets and that the ‘squirrel’ will have to stay in the car.

My niece was thrilled! “Oh good, Storie was doing a bad job, now YOU can watch him!”