Kara's friend Jill...

Kara is always talking about her friend Jill at the gym. She wants to invite her over all the time, and always has stories about her when we get home from there. I haven't ever seen Jill, but I didn't think it was too strange, because I usually have my kids in the babysitting area for at least 2 hours, and several kids come and go. But there are a few of the same kids I see all the time, and I thought it was a little wierd that she doesn't talk about any of them. So today we were at lunch, and Kara insisted I needed to give a plate to Jill. I asked her, "who's Jill?" and she said, "my friend Jill, she sitting by you." That is the first time it has ever clicked that this might be an imaginary friend. So I put a plate there, and then Kara said, "Jill is my favorite color, green!" So I'm not completely sure that the Jill she talks about at the gym is imaginary, but it would certainly explain why I've never seen a kid named Jill when I drop them off and pick them up. (not that the kids always introduce themselves anyway) There is a sign in sheet with the kids names, but I haven't really looked at it too close before. We'll see if she brings her up again. It seems like if she had an imaginary friend, she would talk about her in other places or stories than just a girl she plays with at one specific time and place. I also don't really know why she would have come up with the name Jill, maybe it is a real kid afterall, and Kara just happened to be thinking about her today. I'll have to pay attention and see if green, pizza loving Jill sticks around or not.