Amonhotep, the Four-Eyed Pharoah

I finally got a new pair of glasses this week!

(Applause, applause!)

The old pair were being held together with masking tape and wire. The new pair came in a red case from Target Optical, and as soon as I received it I whipped out the new glasses, stuffed the old ones in the case, and completely forgot about it.

That is, until Jeffrey discovered the old glasses in the case and immediately became curious.

Well . . . curious is Jeffrey’s default mode. Let’s just say that he became even more curious.

“What are these, Mommy?” he asks.

I explained, pointing out the temple piece wrapped in masking tape.

“So these are the old glasses?” asks Jeffrey.

“Yes. I don’t need them anymore, so I put them in that case.” Jeffrey’s eyes widen.

“Is this case the glasses’ tomb?”

I suppose I ought to explain that Jeffrey has had a recent obsession with all things Egyptian.

“Yeah, I guess you could pretend that that case is a tomb for glasses,” I say.

“We need to put this tomb in the temple,” he says reverently, holding the case up on his palms. “It should be surrounded with the mummy things.”

“If you want,” I say. (It was really, really hard to keep a straight face for this. I think I deserve a medal.)

Brian overhears all this. “Are you going to put it in a pyramid, or the Valley of the Kings?” he asks Jeffrey.

“It shall go in the Valley of the Sunglasses,” says Jeffrey, his face solemn. “I’ve built one out of Legos in my room.” With that, he — with the glasses still upraised on his hands — marches slowly down the hall and ceremoniously entombs them in a little Lego structure he built a few days ago.

Although, truth be told, last week I was informed that this Lego structure was supposed to be a starport for spaceships, but who’s counting? The Valley of the Sunglasses it is now, and no matter what Jeffrey says in the future, that’s how I’ll always think of his little Lego structures.

For further reading:

The Egypt Game by Zylpha Keatley Snyder. There are few books that manage to accurately depict children’s fantasy play — especially the fantasy play of older elementary school-age kids — as well as this one. Perfect for Egypt nuts, kids with a taste for backyard adventure, and anyone else who’d like to see How Children’s Books Ought To Be Done.