Phone conversations

I just had a 30 minute long conversation with Clover. It's so funny to think that when I first came to college, I would call her and we would talk for MAYBE 5 minutes. Maybe.

Those five minutes went about like this:

Me (Blythe): Hey! How are you?
Clover: Good.

B: Anything exciting happen this week?
C: Uh-uh.
B: Well how's school going?
C: Good.

And so on. During the conversation tonight, she talked a blue streak. And it's so funny to hear how her intonation is sometimes just like mine. She told me that something was "just hilARious." It's such a "Blythe" way to say it.

Love it.



****Also, I just updated my blog on rswmagazine.com today. Check it out, if you're interested!

Chapter-ised

Well, hello there! I'm sorry I wandered off (once again). This time, I was visiting a friend I haven't seen in years. I was in the Midwest, hanging out in Chicago, then partying it up at the Indiana State Fair and hanging out with my friend. It was good times. More on that later.

BECAUSE I've been such a slacker, I have a LOT to say. So, I'm writing in chapters. Read whichever ones interest you, and skip over the rest. This might be long.

CHAPTER: ON MISTAKEN IDENTITY

This has been happening for years, but in the past few days especially, I have been repeatedly mistaken as the children's mother. By the Comcast service guy, by the lady at the dog park, by the woman at the skating rink. I don't THINK I look old enough to have a 9 year old and a 6 year old (I'm only 22!)... and yet, that's what I keep hearing.

"He's adorable, is he your only child?" from a lady at the dog park when I was there with just Neptune.

"Oh, Mom, just look over here!" from a lady at the souvenir store outside Yellowstone, when Neptune and I were there last summer. (Firstly: I am not a mother at all. Secondly: I am certainly not HER mother. Why was she calling me "mom"?)

"I know, it's scary watching your kids skateboard for the first time, isn't it?" from the woman who was at the skate park with her kids.

And the Comcast guys addressed me using the kids' mom's name, assuming I was the Lady of the House. Nope.

In short: I was quite grateful to the 7 year old who approached the kids and me today and asked, "Are you their nanny?" YES! YES I AM!


CHAPTER: ON HASSLE-FREE KID CONTROL

Today, after lunch, the children crept into their dog's crate, and begged me to lock them in. I hesitated briefly, aware that many people may [quite reasonably] frown upon the idea of locking children up in a cage. After a moment, I realised that the people doing the frowning undoubtedly did not spend much time with children. And so, I twisted the lock.

I was never more than a couple of yards away, cleaning up after lunch. The children had a splendid time, feeling downright ridiculous in their situation. I even took some pictures, and made a short video on my camera. They could not have possibly been happier. (And, yes, I would have let them out any time they wanted to.)

Then, the phone rang. K picked it up in his office in the back of the house, and shortly appeared with it in his hand. "It's for Clover," he said. I, casually, walked over the cage, opened the door, and handed Clover the phone.

K, seeing all of this, did not react in the slightest.

This is because the man has children... he understands.


CHAPTER: ON THE WONDERS OF TOFU

You're laughing, aren't you? You think that tofu isn't wonderous at all. You think it is, at best, boring-- at worst, disgusting. At least, that's what I hear from most adults who haven't been raised on the stuff. (I am an oddity, myself. I love the stuff, and only started eating it a few years ago.)

That is why you may be surprised--

That the children, LOVE (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) these baked tofu nuggets. Yes, it's true! They RAVE about them-- even Clover, who likes approximately 1 vegetable (green beans) and 1 fruit (apples). Clover, who has survived on a rotation of peanut butter and jelly, fish sticks, and pasta for the past 9 years (ok, VERY SLIGHT exaggeration). Yes. That Clover. She and Neptune LOVE tofu that has been coated in wheat germ and baked.

I can't even handle it.

CHAPTER: ON GROWIN' UP

Last week, I visited Daisy, a friend of mine from Indiana. She and I met when we were four, and I had just recently moved to Indiana from Mexico City. Our mothers instantly were friends, and we followed suit.

Eighteen years later, we are still close. She and her mother met up with my mother and myself in Chicago for a long weekend. We shopped (oh, how we shopped), ate, and had generous amounts of wine and cocktails. It was a weekend not to be forgotten, and very much enjoyed. From Chicago, I returned with Daisy and her mother to Carmel, a suburb outside of Indianapolis. Oh MY has it ever grown! I couldn't even believe it.

And let me say, there is nothing that feels stranger than standing a street you used to live on, one you haven't walked down in 10 years. A street, ind you, that I once rollarbladed on, learned to ride a two-wheeler on, and played "night games" with my friends all summer long. It was where we had lemonade stands, and where a neighbourhood friend and I would drag wagons full of American Girl Dolls to each other's houses to play.

From there, I walked to my old elementary school, a couple of miles away. I couldn't go in, as it was closed, but I took a minute to swing on the playground and remember some moments from my time there.

I'm not old. In fact, I'm young. But going to a place where you were VERY young? Where you had to ask permission every time you wanted to walk down the street? Where you genuinely thought you were bringing in the big bucks with your $0.25 lemonade for sale? Well, there's something about that that makes a person feel old.


The End.

Oooh perfection

We had a great day this Thursday. Really, I can’t think of a way to have improved upon it.

Clover, Neptune and I met up with Lynn, Fleur, and Penguin at 10 for tie dying and a playdate.

Let’s talk about tie dying, shall we? It is a disaster waiting to happen: permanent dye, not enough materials for everyone to be working at exactly the same moment, etc. Why do we do it, then? Because the potential for success is even greater. Sure enough, the kids exceeded our wildest expectations. They were patient, asked nicely for the materials they wanted, worked hard on their projects, and didn’t intentionally cover themselves in dye. (Clover was fairly multi-coloured by the end, but that was accidental… I think.) My shirt turned out really well, and I can’t wait to see the kids’ and Lynn’s!

After a lengthy clean-up session, the kids took turns rollerblading (timing it themselves so that everyone got an equal turn), and being loud and crazy. It was ok, though. We like loud and crazy, as long as there are no working parents in the house. It was perfect.

After lunch, we took our crew to see Annie at a nearby theatre. I have to admit… I don’t like that show. It’s just a bit too saccharine for me. Though I don’t like the show itself, the performance we saw was lovely—a cute mix of talent and Just Plain Cute. We all liked seeing another summer companion of ours (a friend of Clover and Fleur’s) play Sandy. She was too cute for words!

And then? THEN, as if that wasn’t enough, we went to my house to roast hot dogs (vegetarian or beef, depending on your preference) and marshmallows over the campfire. It was a smoky, sticky mess, but oh man did we have fun! We ended up getting the kids home almost an hour late (with the parents’ permission), but I don’t think anyone minded a bit. Hey, when everyone’s in a good mood, I am happy to prolong the day!

Not such a remarkable day, I suppose, except that good humour, patience, tolerance, and giggles reigned supreme. THAT makes it a perfect day in my book!

Wild Waves Theme Park

Today, I took the young 'uns to Wild Waves Theme Park, a water park about 45 minutes away. They were unimaginably excited. When I got to their house at 8:30, they both had their swimsuits on and were eager to go. The fact that a) the water park didn't open until 10 and b) that Clover hadn't yet had breakfast absolutely failed to faze them. I edged my way around them, and through the still-open front door, shoving poodles in front of me as I went. (It was quite the entrance, though not dissimilar to most other days.)

At about 9:00 we got out the door. We were still gong to be early, but the excitement radiating of the children was too much to keep inside! After an uneventful drive... we arrived.

I would like to note that it reached over 100 degrees here today. In the PNW, we rarely get temperatures in the upper eighties, never mind the 100s. It was the perfect day to take Neptune to a water park-- if it was less than 90 degrees, he would shiver his way from one attraction to the next. That boy has absolutely 0 body fat.

Carrying on: We strolled through the warm weather, found ourselves a locker, and then scurried off to the wave pool, lazy river, and many different water slides. The children were Positively Delightful. They waited patiently in lines, didn't fight about which attraction we would go to next, and talked about how much fun they were having. (Of course, Neptune also managed to appear to be drowning Every Single Moment he was in the wave pool, but that's neither here nor there. That's just kind of how he acts in the water. And YES, I was always within arm's reach.) It was just plain old fun hanging out with them!

So, after you've taken our advice and headed off to Jetty Island for the day, I would like to recommend that you get yourself some tickets for Wild Waves, and head that direction.

After all, it is Clover and Neptune endorsed.

Sun: 1 Blythe: 0

Let's talk about red. You know what's red?
Strawberries.
Geraniums.
Lip stick.
Some parrots.


My. body.

Oh, sunburns. I made my Facebook status the other day was "Blythe likes having a job that leaves her with sunburns... even if she doesn't like the sunburns themselves." That pretty much sums things up.

Today the young 'uns and I went to a place called Jetty Island, in Everett. It was a bit of a drive, but was totally worth it. You take a cute little ferry out to the island, and then set the kids loose. The water is warm and shallow, and the beach is incredibly sandy. Throughout the day, Clover and Neptune would chirp, "I LOVE Jetty Island!" or "Can we come back soon? Like, tomorrow?" or "Wow, I'm so glad we came!" or "We're SO LUCKY to be here!" Warmed my heart, I tell ya. Almost as much as the sun warmed my skin.

Do you live within driving distance of Everett? Then make a pilgrimage to Jetty Island. As my kids will attest, it's totally worth it.

Actually, we'll probably see you there.

They Crack Me Up

After mentioning that Neptune found another child "not a pleasure to be around," I felt it necessary to share some other excellent Things My Kids Say:

"[Our dog] can jump like a cantaloupe!" (both kids at once)

"So, you know how lions eat cantaloupe...?" (both kids)

K: "Ok, say goodbye to Blythe. She's leaving now, but you'll see her tomorrow."
Neptune (age 4): "But... who will take care of us?"

"It's not gonna happen, so you shouldn't wish for it!" (Clover)

"Are we going to drive through Spain [on the way to Montana]?" (Neptune)

"Stop steppin' on your leash, yo." (Neptune, to his dog)

"When Grace (one of their dogs) steps on me, I choke on my liver!" (Neptune)

"I'm going to go off the diving board a couple of times, but then I'm going to play with Penguin. Because I like Penguin more than I like diving boards." (Neptune)

Zoo Journey

It's good to be back.

When I arrived at work this morning, the kids were bouncing off the walls, and talked to me in very loud, fast, high-pitched voices about all the things they did in Montana after I left. According the them it was areallygreattimebutsometimesitwasabitcrazybeinginonecabinwithsomanypeople. That's not precisely what they said, but, well, you get the idea.

After I had heard many stories about their Montana adventures (including how one child was, to quote 6-year-old Neptune, "Not a pleasure to be around."), I informed the young 'uns that the marker tattoos on Clover's legs must go before we adventure out into the world. What began as a fierce scrub of marker became an hour long bubble bath for both kids. They sculpted bubble-headdresses for each other, blew bubbles (I closed the shower curtain) and had the time of their lives. Finally, I plucked them out so we could get ready to go to the zoo.

And by "plucked them out" I mean "coerced them into finally, FINALLY exiting the tub... but not without splashing most of the bathroom with water." (Actually, despite the enthusiastic splashing, they were quite cooperative when I told them that bath time was over... though I did agree to let them wash their hair first, since they SO wanted to.)

And then, after some reading, writing, math, and lunch.... we headed to the zoo! It was a bit of a gamble, weather-wise, as it had been spitting rain in the morning, but by they time we got there, it was gorgeous. The only trouble was that the pay machine in the zoo parking lot would not take my credit card, and I only had 4 dollar bills. A very kind woman handed me a dollar, saying, "I've been there!" Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers. Nice people make me so happy.

Then we spent whole afternoon at the zoo. I LOVE the Woodland Park Zoo. It's great! They have a brand new Humbolt penguin exhibit, as well as many other fabulous animals. Today, we saw the HUGE brown bears fishing. We were mere centimeters away from the bears, separated only by the glass. It was so cool! The kids and I agreed that we were really lucky.

That, my friends, was a great day.

And, in case you were wondering-- YES. The kids were a pleasure to be around.

Home Sweet Home

You missed me, right? The whole two weeks I was gone, you were thinking to yourself, “Where has Blythe gone? I miss her, and her cupcakes, and her bubbles.” You didn’t even know I blew bubbles, did you? Though you probably assumed it. I’m a bubble-blowing type of person.

Anyway. I know you missed me. You can stop worrying now, though, because I’m back. I went with “my” kids and their grandparents on a week long sojourn to Montana, where we stayed in their cabin.

When I say “cabin” I really mean “lodge.” Or “estate.” Or “log mansion,” as A, the kids’ mom, suggested. The cabin has three stories, a walk in pantry, and a hot tub. It is beautiful, and comfortable, and truly fun to be in… but perhaps not a “cabin.” I digress.

During our week in Montana, we went on many adventures and had a great time. We picked wildflowers, strolled around the yard, went on a 3 hour horseback ride (definitely the highlight), visited the Museum of the Rockies, splashed in the hot tub, played pool and… well, you get the idea. It was fun being away with the kids, enjoying the outdoors. The kids were in ecstasies, riding in the back of a pick up and rafting down the river.

When we weren't enjoying the outdoors, we were enjoying the Museum of the Rockies, in Bozeman. Pictured here is the largest t-rex skull ever discovered. Neptune was impressed.

The kids were quite excited for the horseback ride, but when we woke up on Friday morning, it was raining. And then we heard thunder. Ai. I cannot even describe how relieved I was when the clouds cleared away for 3 hours exactly-- precisely enough time for us to go on our ride and return. The kids had the time of their lives. Clover struggled with a more stubborn horse, but did a great job hanging in there when the going got tough. Neptune was perched atop the largest horse I have ever seen, and was (rather to my surprise) totally in his element. He was totally comfortable, and loved the experience. I thought he would like it-- I did realise he would like it so much!

This is Nephi. He was my trusty companion for the trail ride.

After a week at the “cabin,” A and K (the kids’ parents) showed up and I left. That “cabin” was going to house 4 families for the next week! I’m looking forward to hearing the stories when I get to work tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my mom and I headed off for a day in Yellowstone, before heading to Missoula to visit family.

And now? Now, I am back in the PNW, and eager to begin this new week with the kids. It’s always great to travel, but sometimes the coming home is just as wonderful as the going away!

Cupcakes? Don't Ask Me Twice!

On Friday, the kids and I were running around, completing a variety of errands. One of the the places we were headed was Michael's, the craft store. As we pulled into the center that houses Michaels, Clover piped up from the back seat, "Hey, Blythe, look! New York Cupcakes."

She was right. It was an adorable little pink-and-white shop, and we were driving past it. This problem had to be fixed immediately!

I turned the car around in the parking lot, and headed back to the shop. We parked outside and peered in, entranced by the fluffy, cupcake-y goodness of the store. They even had a pink refrigerator.

"I wonder if they have mini cupcakes," I pondered. The kids suggested that maybe this was worth a quick look. You know, just to satisfy our curiosity.

Casually, like we had been planning this all day, we sauntered into the store. Our eyes grew wide. It was even better inside! No mini cupcakes greeted us, however. We were disappointed for a minute, and then caught a glimpse of the full size cupcakes. Oh man, they looked good.

I glanced down at the children. They looked up at me, knowing perfectly well that I was already eager to experience this cupcake situation, and that begging and whining would work against them. The waited to see what I would do.

"I'll make you a deal," I said. "If you guys pinkie promise to eat healthy lunches, then we can get cupcakes now and save them for dessert." What kid wouldn't take up that offer? They stuck out their pinkies, and we linked them, one at a time.

Then we got down to the Very Serious Business of deciding which cupcakes to get. Finally, Clover decided that she would go with lemon, and Neptune and I each got chocolate with butterscotch frosting.

Then, cupcakes carefully encased in a layer of plastic, we headed to Michael's. Before too long, we were home again, and all were eyeing the cupcakes. I whipped up lunch-- complete with apple slices and green beans for Clover, and blueberries and sugar snap peas for Neptune.

And after that?
Oh, then it was cupcake time!

At first they looked kind of like this:

But before too long, this is all that was left:

"When you hear that final bell, drop your books and run like ---"

Did you ever sing that song on the last day of school? At the elementary school I went to in Indiana, it was expected that the last day of school would bring a chorus of:

No more pencils, no more books
No more teachers' dirty looks
When you hear that final bell,
Drop your books and run like hell!

The most rebellious of us would actually say "hell," and then giggle hysterically. Their bravado was not matched by the rest of us, who would substitute a loud "BEEEEP," or sometimes just clap our hands over our mouths, making sideways eye contact to appreciate the disobedience of what we almost said.

Where am I going with this, you may ask? Well, Thursday was the Last Day of School for Clover and Neptune, and they are now officially on summer vacation! You can tell for sure, because it rained all of yesterday. Such is life in the PNW.

The last week of school brought all sorts of different activities, but most notable from my perspective were the class parties. Both Neptune's kindergarten morning tea and Clover's 3rd grade class party were on the same day but, thankfully, at different times. I went to both.

Neptune's morning tea was so darn cute. The kids performed colour songs, letter songs, BINGO, and-- my personal favourite-- the goonie bird song. I wish I could accurately convey the hilarity over a blog, but it's really impossible. They all had homemade bird hats, though, if that is any indication. The best moment of the programme, though, was during that song, "Skinnamarink-a-dinky-dink.Skinnamarink-a-doo I love you." It came with a whole prescribed set of gestures, but on the line "I love you," Neptune defected from the ranks entirely, and pointed at me. It was adorable.

And then we had rainbow cake. That was pretty great too.

After Neptune's morning tea, I grabbed lunch and then headed to Clover's party. I was moderately disappointed that the 3rd graders didn't sing, but managed to get over it. I poured soda over ice cream and handed out rootbeer floats, and watched the kids freak out from the sugar high. Hey, I was entertained, and that's what this is all about, right?

That afternoon, our unofficial playgroup, consisting of Lynn, Fleur, Penguin and another family and their nanny (a total of 8 nannies and 3 kids, including us), headed over to a park with a beach. We threw water balloons, splashed in the lake, and buried the children in the sand (which they requested, I promise!). It was definitely insane, but the kids had fun and so did the nannies. Happiness all around!

And thus begins summer vacation. More stories from Friday once I get my pictures off my camera!

What's in a name?

Clover and Neptune no longer like their nicknames-- not their blog nicknames, but the actual names that everyone calls them. For the sake of argument, we'll say that Clover's real name is Elizabeth, and Neptune's is Andrew.

When I left their house Friday evening, they were called Lizzie and Andy, as they had been their entire lives. By the time I showed up again on Monday, Lizzie had a sign on her door that read "Beth's room," and Andy made it clear that he wanted to be known as "Rattler" from now on.

Or maybe "Viper."

He hasn't quite decided.

Clover is more than determined, more than steadfast. People will call her Beth, and they absolutely will not call her Lizzie. Woe betide them if they should try!

I am sitting back and waiting, eager and amused to see how the whole thing turns out...

Wait... What?

Clover's school has a third grade talent show, and all the children who wanted to participate had to sign up by last Friday. She decided that the talent she wanted to demonstrate was taking a picture with her feet.

That's, well, an interesting concept...

Made more interesting by the fact that she doesn't know how to do it.

Sigh.

Well, knock me over with a feather!

My friends, something remarkable has happened.

Clover, who likes two vegetables, and two vegetables only (green beans and spinach)...

Clover, who can reliably be expected to eat only a handful of different food items...

Clover, who is likely to hate a food item on sight...

Yes, THAT Clover--

She likes tofu.

I found out last night, when I made it for dinner.

Well, knock me over with a feather.

Perfect Moments

When I was young, I read the book Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. It was one of those wholesome, girl-on-a-farm-growing-up sort of books, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Incidentally, I also was infatuated with Anne of Green Gables by the same author.) One of the things that characterised Emily was what she called "the flash." When "the flash" happened, everything around her appeared to be unbelievably beautiful. She described it as if the curtain veiling the faery world had been pulled back for the briefest of moments.

I don't experience "the flash," of course, but I do have similar moments. Ever now and then I realise that everything is just about perfect. Yesterday evening, I had one of those moments.

I was laying on a beach chair by the lake as the kids propelled themselves around in their neon inner tubes. They were laughing and splashing and yelling, "Blythe, watch this!" and "Hey, Blythe! Blythe! Did you see that??" Of course, I saw it all-- the twirling, the paddling backwards and-- my personal favourite-- the tipping backwards into the water.

We threw the biggest rocks we could into the lake, and watched the explosive splashes. We played "fetch." The moon was slowly coming out, the air was clear, and the sky was blue. During the day, the temperature had spiked in to the nineties (odd for the PNW), but by the evening it had cooled to the mid-seventies or so, and was as pleasent as it comes.

Yes, I think it was pretty near to perfect.

A Fun New Game

This game was invented by Clover, and inspired by a particularly enthusiastic golden retriever we met at the off-leash dog park. Oh yes, it's that good. Those of you with dogs may recognise this.

1. Find some sort of projectile, preferably something that floats. Though a beach ball was the original object of choice, various sand toys work well too. Here we have two shovels that were used yesterday.

2. Throw these projectiles as far out into the lake (or pool) as the children are willing to go/as far as the children can go safely. 3. Laugh to yourself as the children "fetch" the objects, returning them to you on shore.
4. Repeat.

Note: It is possible that only Neptune and Clover find this game fun. They are, after all, happy to play any game that involves being in the water.

Spring Break!

Oh, college spring break. The stories! The adventures! The bikinis! The alcohol!

I have been counting down to spring break ever since the first pre-spring break due date was issued. I have gritted my teeth through mid-terms, papers, final due dates, last minute assignments. I have rushed to get everything completed, organised my journey to the airport, found my tortoises their own spring break destination (my friend's apartment). Oh I was excited!

But it was not the bikinis and alcohol that had me on the edge of my seat from California to Sea-Tac airport. After all, what would I do with a bikini in Seattle in March? Exactly.

I was flying back to see my family and the kids after 7 1/2 months away. I saw my dad for 5 weeks this winter, my mom for 4 days in November, and that's it! Not my sister, not my brother, not the kids.

I arrived in the PNW late on Thursday night, and surprised the kids by picking them up from daycare on Friday. They. Were. Shocked. It probably didn't help that I've cut and dyed my hair since I'd last seen them, so the fact that I looked different and that they didn't expect me to be there factored in. Still.

Before it registered, Clover looked like she was seeing a ghost. After everything in her head clicked, she was excited. Neptune was right behind her, and never even hesitated. He was just delighted-- and so was I! I was right, of course. They've both grown several feet.

At their house that evening we made "monster cookies" (chocolate chip cookies dyed green-- weird) and homemade pizza. My employers were amused as they watched me putter around their kitchen in my polka dot apron, and wondered about the number of students who were spending their College Spring Break quite the same way. The kids' mom suggested that if I was feeling left out, Clover and Neptune would most likely be willing to put their swim suits on and dance around...

Of course they obliged.

Later that evening we became superheros, along with the family pets, and battled the forces of Global Warming (I'm not even kidding). I was Dazzler, Clover was Animal Allie (her name is not actually Allie, I think she just liked the alliteration... assonance?) and Neptune was... well... he never quite settled on a superhero name. Options included The Force, Tornado Blaster, and a variety of others.

We stole plans from even scientists, stopped cars from producing Carbon Dioxide, and made sure unnecessary lights were turned off.

You know the craziest thing? This was Neptune's idea. Got to love the imagination of a tuned-in six year old!

In unrelated news, Clover has turned into a craftoholic (hurray!). There aren't really that many choices for a 9 year old girl in the PNW in the winter, but it still is certainly a good one. You should see some of the designs, decorations, and various things she has made. They are fabulous.

Finally, one of my favourite quotes of the evening:

Blythe: I mean, after all, what is an evil scientist without a terrible experiment?
Neptune: A frog!
Blythe and Clover: A frog...?
Neptune: Or a leopard.

Valentines

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!
Mail from "my" kids is always wonderful. I love how much they reflect the two kids-- Neptune's holographic Spiderman Valentine and Clover's heartshaped doilies on pink construction paper. Aren't they great?

I always found it hilarious that my dad thought what I was really cut out for was a job at Starbucks. I'll take this any day!

Happy Birthday, Clover!

Today is Clover's 9th birthday. I can hardly believe it! I met her the January before she turned six, when she was in a class I was assistant teaching. That summer was my first as her nanny, and a more privileged position I cannot imagine. I have been incredibly fortunate to spend the last three summers (and any available school holidays in between!) with her and her brother. She is a helpful, sweet, hilarious, accident-prone, adventurous, caring, lovable, smart and a complete goof as well as an occasional drama queen. We have had so much fun together, from exploring the zoo and imagining what the elephants might be saying to playing in the ocean in Hawaii to seeing grizzly bears in Yellowstone to to meeting Mickey Mouse to playing the extraordinarily complex "Fairy Game." (Trust me, that game deserves those capital letters!)

I hope this year is wonderful for her, and I simply cannot wait to see her over spring break!