diff --git a/examples/basic.py b/examples/basic.py
index 542044e24..69970951e 100644
--- a/examples/basic.py
+++ b/examples/basic.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class BasicApp(App):
 
     css = """
 
-    App > View {
+    App > DockView {
         layout: dock;
         docks: sidebar=left | widgets=top;
     }
diff --git a/src/textual/_node_list.py b/src/textual/_node_list.py
index a7baae8c9..f5ae8ffeb 100644
--- a/src/textual/_node_list.py
+++ b/src/textual/_node_list.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ from weakref import ref
 import rich.repr
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from .widget import Widget
     from .dom import DOMNode
 
 
@@ -20,8 +19,8 @@ class NodeList:
     """
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
-        self._widget_refs: list[ref[DOMNode]] = []
-        self.__widgets: list[DOMNode] | None = []
+        self._node_refs: list[ref[DOMNode]] = []
+        self.__nodes: list[DOMNode] | None = []
 
     def __rich_repr__(self) -> rich.repr.Result:
         yield self._widgets
@@ -29,38 +28,38 @@ class NodeList:
     def __len__(self) -> int:
         return len(self._widgets)
 
-    def __contains__(self, widget: Widget) -> bool:
+    def __contains__(self, widget: DOMNode) -> bool:
         return widget in self._widgets
 
     @property
     def _widgets(self) -> list[DOMNode]:
-        if self.__widgets is None:
-            self.__widgets = list(
-                filter(None, [widget_ref() for widget_ref in self._widget_refs])
+        if self.__nodes is None:
+            self.__nodes = list(
+                filter(None, [widget_ref() for widget_ref in self._node_refs])
             )
-        return self.__widgets
+        return self.__nodes
 
     def _prune(self) -> None:
         """Remove expired references."""
-        self._widget_refs[:] = filter(
+        self._node_refs[:] = filter(
             None,
             [
                 None if widget_ref() is None else widget_ref
-                for widget_ref in self._widget_refs
+                for widget_ref in self._node_refs
             ],
         )
 
     def _append(self, widget: DOMNode) -> None:
         if widget not in self._widgets:
-            self._widget_refs.append(ref(widget))
-            self.__widgets = None
+            self._node_refs.append(ref(widget))
+            self.__nodes = None
 
     def _clear(self) -> None:
-        del self._widget_refs[:]
-        self.__widgets = None
+        del self._node_refs[:]
+        self.__nodes = None
 
     def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[DOMNode]:
-        for widget_ref in self._widget_refs:
+        for widget_ref in self._node_refs:
             widget = widget_ref()
             if widget is not None:
                 yield widget
diff --git a/src/textual/app.py b/src/textual/app.py
index 27f49e969..4304f42e9 100644
--- a/src/textual/app.py
+++ b/src/textual/app.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import os
 
 import asyncio
 
-from typing import Any, Callable, ClassVar, Type, TypeVar
+from typing import Any, Callable, ClassVar, Iterable, Type, TypeVar
 import warnings
 
 from rich.control import Control
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ class App(DOMNode):
                 self.stylesheet.read(self.css_file)
             if self.css is not None:
                 self.stylesheet.parse(self.css, path=f"<{self.__class__.__name__}>")
+            print(self.stylesheet.css)
         except StylesheetParseError as error:
             self.panic(error)
             self._print_error_renderables()
@@ -313,8 +314,10 @@ class App(DOMNode):
         try:
             load_event = events.Load(sender=self)
             await self.dispatch_message(load_event)
+            view = DockView()
+            await self.mount(view)
+            await self.push_view(view)
             await self.post_message(events.Mount(self))
-            await self.push_view(DockView())
 
             # Wait for the load event to be processed, so we don't go in to application mode beforehand
             await load_event.wait()
@@ -342,15 +345,27 @@ class App(DOMNode):
             if self.log_file is not None:
                 self.log_file.close()
 
-    def register(self, child: MessagePump, parent: MessagePump) -> bool:
+    def register(self, child: DOMNode, parent: DOMNode) -> bool:
         if child not in self.registry:
             self.registry.add(child)
             child.set_parent(parent)
             child.start_messages()
             child.post_message_no_wait(events.Mount(sender=parent))
+            parent.children._append(child)
             return True
         return False
 
+    async def mount(self, *anon_widgets: Widget, **widgets: Widget) -> None:
+
+        name_widgets: Iterable[tuple[str | None, Widget]]
+        name_widgets = [*((None, widget) for widget in anon_widgets), *widgets.items()]
+        apply_stylesheet = self.stylesheet.apply
+        for widget_id, widget in name_widgets:
+            if widget_id is not None:
+                widget.id = widget_id
+            self.register(widget, self)
+            apply_stylesheet(widget)
+
     def is_mounted(self, widget: Widget) -> bool:
         return widget in self.registry
 
diff --git a/src/textual/css/query.py b/src/textual/css/query.py
index 3f98d62d9..c116ba881 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/query.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/query.py
@@ -10,19 +10,19 @@ from .match import match
 from .parse import parse_selectors
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from ..dom import DOMNode
+    from ..widget import Widget
 
 
 @rich.repr.auto(angular=True)
 class DOMQuery:
     def __init__(
         self,
-        node: DOMNode | None = None,
+        node: Widget | None = None,
         selector: str | None = None,
-        nodes: Iterable[DOMNode] | None = None,
+        nodes: Iterable[Widget] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
 
-        self._nodes: list[DOMNode]
+        self._nodes: list[Widget] = []
         if nodes is not None:
             self._nodes = list(nodes)
         elif node is not None:
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class DOMQuery:
             selector_set = parse_selectors(selector)
             self._nodes = [_node for _node in self._nodes if match(selector_set, _node)]
 
-    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[DOMNode]:
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[Widget]:
         return iter(self._nodes)
 
     def __rich_repr__(self) -> rich.repr.Result:
@@ -45,3 +45,6 @@ class DOMQuery:
         query = DOMQuery()
         query._nodes = [_node for _node in self._nodes if match(selector_set, _node)]
         return query
+
+    def first(self) -> Widget:
+        return self._nodes[0]
diff --git a/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py b/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
index 5e00bb39e..36c8c12d2 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from .model import RuleSet
 from .parse import parse
 from .types import Specificity3, Specificity4
 from ..dom import DOMNode
+from .. import log
 
 
 class StylesheetParseError(Exception):
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@ class Stylesheet:
             for name, specificity_rules in rule_attributes.items()
         ]
         node.styles.apply_rules(node_rules)
+        log(node, node_rules)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/src/textual/dom.py b/src/textual/dom.py
index 04f9fd865..adaf2459e 100644
--- a/src/textual/dom.py
+++ b/src/textual/dom.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Iterable, Iterator, TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import cast, Iterable, Iterator, TYPE_CHECKING
 
 from rich.highlighter import ReprHighlighter
 import rich.repr
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from ._node_list import NodeList
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .css.query import DOMQuery
+    from .widget import Widget
 
 
 @rich.repr.auto
diff --git a/src/textual/layout.py b/src/textual/layout.py
index 7af1e40f6..ce048d011 100644
--- a/src/textual/layout.py
+++ b/src/textual/layout.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ from rich.segment import Segment, SegmentLines
 from rich.style import Style
 
 from . import log, panic
-from .dom import DOMNode
 from ._loop import loop_last
 from .layout_map import LayoutMap
 from ._profile import timer
@@ -150,7 +149,7 @@ class Layout(ABC):
         )
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def get_widgets(self, view: View) -> Iterable[DOMNode]:
+    def get_widgets(self, view: View) -> Iterable[Widget]:
         ...
 
     @abstractmethod
diff --git a/src/textual/layouts/dock.py b/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
index 081beb0dd..8dc791609 100644
--- a/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
+++ b/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
@@ -5,11 +5,14 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Iterable, TYPE_CHECKING, Sequence
 
+from ..app import active_app
+
 from ..dom import DOMNode
 from .._layout_resolve import layout_resolve
 from ..geometry import Offset, Region, Size
 from ..layout import Layout, WidgetPlacement
 from ..layout_map import LayoutMap
+from ..widget import Widget
 
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 8):
     from typing import Literal
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ class DockOptions:
 @dataclass
 class Dock:
     edge: str
-    widgets: Sequence[DOMNode]
+    widgets: Sequence[Widget]
     z: int = 0
 
 
@@ -45,8 +48,9 @@ class DockLayout(Layout):
         self._docks: list[Dock] | None = None
 
     def get_docks(self, view: View) -> list[Dock]:
-        groups: dict[str, list[DOMNode]] = defaultdict(list)
+        groups: dict[str, list[Widget]] = defaultdict(list)
         for child in view.children:
+            assert isinstance(child, Widget)
             groups[child.styles.dock_group].append(child)
         docks: list[Dock] = []
         append_dock = docks.append
diff --git a/src/textual/view.py b/src/textual/view.py
index e506021fe..b618d252e 100644
--- a/src/textual/view.py
+++ b/src/textual/view.py
@@ -138,15 +138,7 @@ class View(Widget):
             self.app.refresh()
 
     async def mount(self, *anon_widgets: Widget, **widgets: Widget) -> None:
-
-        name_widgets: Iterable[tuple[str | None, Widget]]
-        name_widgets = [*((None, widget) for widget in anon_widgets), *widgets.items()]
-        apply_stylesheet = self.app.stylesheet.apply
-        for widget_id, widget in name_widgets:
-            if widget_id is not None:
-                widget.id = widget_id
-            apply_stylesheet(widget)
-            self._add_child(widget)
+        await self.app.mount(*anon_widgets, **widgets)
         self.refresh()
 
     async def refresh_layout(self) -> None:
diff --git a/src/textual/widget.py b/src/textual/widget.py
index 2cf144068..9a6ac0f1e 100644
--- a/src/textual/widget.py
+++ b/src/textual/widget.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ from typing import (
     Callable,
     ClassVar,
     NamedTuple,
-    NewType,
     cast,
 )
 import rich.repr
@@ -116,25 +115,15 @@ class Widget(DOMNode):
         renderable = self.render_styled()
         return renderable
 
-    def _add_child(self, widget: Widget) -> Widget:
-        """Add a child widget.
-
-        Args:
-            widget (Widget): Widget
-        """
-        self.app.register(widget, self)
-        self.children._append(widget)
-        return widget
-
     def get_child(self, name: str | None = None, id: str | None = None) -> Widget:
         if name is not None:
             for widget in self.children:
                 if widget.name == name:
-                    return widget
+                    return cast(Widget, widget)
         if id is not None:
             for widget in self.children:
                 if widget.id == id:
-                    return widget
+                    return cast(Widget, widget)
         raise errors.MissingWidget(f"Widget named {name!r} was not found in {self}")
 
     def watch(self, attribute_name, callback: Callable[[Any], Awaitable[None]]) -> None: