Stories for Dora

Xena Plays the Xylophone

2013-08-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Xena Holloway's family was musical, and she wanted to be too. They all played an instrument. Her father played the French horn. Her mother played the mandolin. Her sister, Shelby played the saxophone. Her brother, Braden played the banjo. Xena wanted to play an instrument too, but she didn't know which instrument to play.

She asked her father. "Daddy, what instrument should I play?"

Daddy smiled proud that Xena wanted to carry on the family musical tradition. "Why don't you play the French horn like me?" he suggested excitedly. He let her hold his horn. It was shiny and brass, but a little too big for such a little girl as Xena to hold comfortably. She handed it back to her father.

"No thank you, daddy." said Xena. "The French horn is the perfect instrument for you. It is not right for me. Thanks, anyway." She went off to find her mother.

Mommy was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. She looked up and smiled as Xena approached. "What can I do for you. my sweet?" she asked cheerfully.

"What instrument should I play, mommy?" asked Xena.

"Why don't you play the mandolin like me?" offered Mommy. She took Xena upstairs and proudly showed Xena her mandolin. It was beautifully carved wood. Xena plucked on the strings. It kind of hurt her fingers. She handed it back to her mother.

"No, thank you mommy." said Xena. "The mandolin is the perfect instrument for you. It is not right for me. Thanks, anyway." She went off to her find her sister, Shelby.

Shelby was in her room reading a book. "What do you want?" she asked angrily. She was in the middle of the best part of her book and didn't really want to be interupted.

Xena frowned and made sad puppy dog eyes at her sister. "I just wanted to ask you a question." she said hurtly.

Shelby felt a pang of guilt for being so mean to her little sister. "I'm sorry. What is it?" she asked,

Xena smiled. She liked it so much better when Shelby was nice to her. "What instrument should I play?" she asked her sister.

Now, it was Shelby's turn to smile. "Why don't you play the saxophone like me?" She went to the closet and took out her instrument. It was long and shiny. She handed it to Xena to check out.

Xena tried to blow into the saxophone. All she got were sore lips. No sound came out of the instrument. "The saxophone is the perfect instrument for you. It is not right for me." she handed it back to her sister and went off to find her brother, Braden.

Braden was out on the driveway shooting baskets. He stopped as Shelby approached and lifted her into the air. "Hey kiddo!" he greeted her warmly. He and his little sister were very close and he adored her.

"What instrument should I play?" asked Xena as Braden gently placed her back down on the ground.

"How about the Banjo?" suggested Braden.

They went into the house. He took out his banjo and showed it to her. It had a long neck and a rounded bottom. Xena plucked at the strings. She didn't like it anymore than she had liked strumming her mother's mandolin. She shook her head. "The banjo is the perfect instrument for you. It is not for me." she handed the banjo back to Braden.

Xena felt sad. There wasn't anybody else in the family to ask for advice about what instrument to play. She went down into the basement to be by herself and think. Maybe, it would cheer her up to look through Grandma's old things. The basement was full oif them. Mommy and Daddy had brought them here when Grandma moved to the retirement community.

Mommy had really wanted to get rid of Grandma's old things. "But one of the children might want them one day." Grandma had insisted. Mommy was just waiting for the right time and then she planned to get rid of most of the stuff anyway. It made Xena sad because she loved looked through Grandma's old things. She started sorting through bags of clothes and shoes.

Suddenly, in the corner she spotted an old suit case she had never seen before. She quickly went over to it. She blew the dust off and opened it. She lifted out a small wooden xylophone. It was the most beautiful instrument Xena had ever seen. She put it down and reached back into the suitcase and found two rubber mallets. She struck the xylophone with them. It was one of the most beautiful sounds Xena had ever heard.
She smiled happily. She knew she had found it. She knew she had found the perfect instrument for her.

So Many Dogs

2013-08-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Veronica Yeager was so excited because her very best friend from school, Georgia Rice was coming over for the very first time. "Come on in." she called excitedly as Georgia's car pulled up in front of her house and Georgia stepped out of the car.

As she climbed up the wooden porch steps, Georgia spied a fluffy white face staring at her from under the steps. "How cute!" she gushed.

"Oh that's my dog, Dixie." explained Veronica.

A little while later, the girls were in the living room watching Good Luck Charlie on Disney Channel. They both agreed that it was their favorite show. They heard the sound of a dog barking. Georgia was about to ask if that was Dixie when she heard Veronica's older brother call out to the dog "Shut up! Dumbo!"

Veronica shook her head. "My brother is so mean." she said.

'Oh thought,' Georgia. 'They must have two dogs Dixie and Dumbo.'

When they went upstairs to play in Veronica's room, Georgia saw a black tail stick out from under Veronica's Mom and Dad's bed. Veronica's Mom was lying on her bed flipping through the lastest issue of People. "Hello." she said to Veronica. "Have you met our little Poochie?" she asked noticing that Georgia was staring under the bed.

Georgia shook her head no. The dog stayed under the bed, and Georgia followed Veronica to her room. 'Three dogs?' she thought. 'Dixie, Dumbo, and Poochie.' she counted. 'That is kind of a lot.'

The two girls played some more. Before long it started to get late. It was almost dinner time. The girls were so excited that Georgia was going to be staying for dinner. "I hope you like spaghetti." Veronica's mom said to Georgia cheerfully. Georgia nodded her head. It was actually one of her favorites.

Just then they heard the sound of car pulling up in the driveway. "Daddy!" exclaimed Veronica excitedly.
They heard the sound of the car door opening followed by the sound of a dog barking again. "Hi Doodle." Veronica's father called out to the dog as he stepped out of the car and into the house.

Georgia shook her head and counted -one, two, three, four - Dixie, Dumbo, Poochie, Doodle. Four dogs that was an awful lot especially to some one like her who didn't have any pets. She wondered if there were anymore.

Veronica was surprised by the strange look on her friend's face. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"It's just that I have never known anybody with so many dogs. How many do you have altogether?"

Veronica seemed even more surprised by Georgia's question. "We only have one dog." she said.

Georgia smiled. "Very funny." she said. "How many do you really have?"

"We have one." repeated Veronica.

"Oh come on. " said Georgia. "I count at least four."

"Four?"

"Yes. Dixie, Dumbo, Poochie, and Doodle."

"Oh." replied Veronica. She couldn't help smiling at her friend's confusion. "We have one dog. Her name is Dixie Doodle. I call her Dixie. My Dad calls her Doodle. My Mom calls her Poochie. My brother calls her Dumbo."

"Oh." replied Georgia. Now, she felt like the Dumbo. She looked at Veronica. Veronica looked back at her. Then, they both burst our laughing.

Summer Stays Silent

2013-08-06T07:09:00.002-07:00

One morning Summer Bartholomew woke up. It was a bright and sunny morning. She stretched and smiled and got out of bed, but she didn't say anything. She got dressed in a pair of yellow shorts and a pink top and went downstairs, but she still didn't say anything.

"Good morning, Summer." her Mother greeted her cheerfully. "We're having pancakes for breakfast." She smiled warmly at Summer.

Pancakes was Summer's favorite breakfast. She didn't say anything though. She just smiled back at her mother but she did not reply.

Her mother looked at her normally chatty daughter with surprise. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

Summer continued smiling and shook her head.

Her mother shrugged and continued making breakfast. Summer remained silent. In fact, she did not say a word throughout the entire meal. When she finished eating, she quietly helped her mother clean up and then slipped out of the kitchen.

All day Summer played quietly or watched TV or read her book. All day she did not make a peep. Not at lunch. Not a dinner. Not at all. Her mother was worried. At dinner time, she asked "Are you okay, Summer?" Summer nodded. ""Are you sure you're feeling okay?" her mother asked again. Summer nodded again. Her mother didn't believe it. "Does your throat hurt?" she asked. Summer shook her head no. "Do you have larangytis?" asked her mother. Again Summer shook her head no.

Summer's mother still didn't believe she was really okay. She felt Summer's head with the back of her hand. It felt cool. She kissed Summer's head. It still felt cool. "Maybe, I should take your temperature just to be sure. " she said. Summer shook her head no.

"You would tell me if you really weren't feeling well, right?" asked Mother finally. Summer nodded. Her mother kissed her. Summer went upstairs. She silently got in her blue striped pajama, and brushed her teeth with her Princess toothbrush and got ready for bed.

When her mother came to tuck her in for bed, she smiled and reached up and hugged her mother tightly. "Goodnight, Mommy." she said. "I love you."

"I love you too." replied her mother. She was relieved and happy to hear Summer's voice again. "What a pretty voice you have Summer," she said, "and I am so glad to hear it."

Her mother kissed her and tucked her in. Just before, her mother left the room she turned back to Summer and asked "Why didn't you talk at all today, Summer?"

Summer shrugged. "I just didn't have anything to say." she said.

Harriet Hits the Hay

2013-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

TODAY'S STORY IS BY MELIA

Harriet Almahny was a 6 year old girl. She lived with her Mommy, her Daddy, her brother Jim, her sister Cadence and her Gran. Harriet hated to sleep. She dreaded 8:00 p.m. Every night she would slowly drag her feet, pout, beg, cry, and whine but she had to go to sleep anyway.

It was a warm slightly cloudy evening, Jim was getting ready to leave for a sleepover. "Bye, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Burt's mom is taking me home. See you mom, dad, Gran, Cadey, and Harriet."

Harriet rushed up and squeezed her big brother. "Bye Jimmy, I'll miss you.," she said as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes.

Jim didn't let anyone else call him Jimmy, but he didn't mind with her. Honk! Honk! As Jim left Harriet glanced at the clock, 7:58, two minutes to bedtime. "Uhhhhhhhh, Mommy, I'm going to play dollhouse." she nervously exclaimed.

"Park it, bedtime." Mommy said.

Harriet sighed. "Mommy can't I stay up late tonight? I really wanted to play dollhouse, I just set it up. Pleeease? I'll go right to bed, I promise!" Harriet pleaded.

And then she used her secret weapon. The legendary puppy dog face. "Harriet, that doesn't work on me. Go. Daddy and I have to go to a meeting now. Gran will be right there to tuck you in. Bye. Love you." Mommy sharply replied as she kissed everyone good-bye.

Harriet trudged up the stairs. She really didn't want to go to sleep. "Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" Harriet shouted.

Gran stepped into the pink flowered room and sat on the edge of Harriet's bed. What is it darling?" Gran asked wearily.

"Gran will you sit with me until I fall asleep." Harriet asked.

She knew that Gran would fall asleep soon which would make it easier for her to sneak out. A half hour later Gran was fast asleep. Harriet quietly slipped out. She snuck into Cadence's room. Cadence was awake on her laptop. "Cadey, can I play with you?" asked Harriet sweetly.

"I'm not on my laptop." Cadence exclaimed as she closed it and hid it under her blanket.

"Please Cadey. I won't tell Mommy." she slipped her hand into her big sister's.

"Fine, let's go to the playroom." she answered.

Harriet smiled and clapped her hands.

"First I have to go to the bathroom." Cadence said.

Harriet climbed into her sister's bed to wait in. It was so comfy and cozy. Harriet's eyes fluttered, then slowly closed. Then her head hit the pillow and she fell asleep. Cadence came back to find her bed taken. She found Gran in Harriet's bed so she went to sleep in Gran's room. When Mommy and Daddy got home, Daddy decided to check on everyone so he went to Cadence's room and found Harriet, then he went to Harriet's room and found Gran, finally he went to Gran's room and found Cadence. He shook his head and went to sleep. In the morning everyone woke up to find themselves in each others beds. "Well at least we found a way to get Harriet to go to sleep."

Maggie in the Middle

2013-07-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today's story is not only for my daughter but by my daughter.

Maggie in the Middle

Maggie was a 7 year old girl. She had an 11 year old sister named Maryn, and a 1 year old sister named Aubry. Maggie never got the attention. She was so jealous. It was always Aubry or Maryn that got the attention. Aubry was cute, adorable and little and funny. Maryn was older and got to do cool things.

Even on Maggie's birthday she didn't get the attention. It was still Aubry and Maryn that got the attention every single year. She was so jealous and upset. “I hate Maryn and Aubry!” she screamed.

“You don't hate them.” Mommy said.

Aubry started to cry.

“Maggie!” Mommy screamed. “You made Aubry cry.”

“I don't care.” Maggie screamed back. “I hate her!”

“Go to your room, Maggie.” said Daddy.

“But, daddy!” whined Maggie.

“Room now!” he repeated.

Maggie groaned and went to her room. When she got to her room, she heard Daddy call out “And, no playing with your toys! Sit and think about what you did wrong.”

“I hate you!” she screamed.

Aubry continued to cry.

One day later, it was Aubry's 2^nd birthday. Aubry ran into her parents room and said “It's my birthday. I 2!” Then, she ran into her sister's room jumping up and down. “It's my birthday! I 2.” She

was so excited that she knocked down some of Maryn's make-up.

Maryn sat up in bed. “Happy Birthday!” she said.

Aubry ran into Maggie's room and said “It's my birthday! I 2.” She accidentally knocked down Maggie's pile of blocks. “Oopsy!” she said.

“Aw! I worked hard on that!” cried Maggie.

Then, Mommy and Daddy and Maryn walked in. “We'll help you fix it .” they said. Even Aubry helped.

They were actually paying attention to her even on Aubry's birthday. She knew they must really love her, and she never got jealous again.

Good Kitty and Bad Kitty

2013-07-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

Once there was a Good Kitty and Bad Kitty owned by a little girl named Phoebe Bryant. Good Kitty was sweet and lovable. She was friendly and loved to be held. She would sit on Phoebe's lap for hours. She never tried to get out of the house. She never got into any trouble.

Bad Kitty was always getting into trouble. She never wanted to cuddle up. She always wanted to wander around. She was always trying to wander out the door. She was always getting into things.

"Phoebe!" Mommy called. "Come get Kitty!" Phoebe would run into Mommy's room and find Kitty all balled up in Mommy's knitting yarn. She would laugh and untangle her silly kitty.

"Phoebe!" her older sister Phyllida yelled. "Would you get your stupid cat!" Phoebe would find Bad Kitty up on Phyllida's dresser knocking over all of Phyllida's makeup. Phoebe would smile to herself and scoop up Bad Kitty and take her away. She didn't know why Phyllida needed so much make-up anyway.

When Daddy called from the garage, Phoebe had to go and coax Bad Kitty out from under the outside toy bin so Daddy could open the garage door. By then, it wasn't so fun anymore chasing Bad Kitty around and Phoebe didn't smiled or laugh. She just shook her finger at her little kitty and said "Bad Kitty!"

Good Kitty was just the opposite. She would chase away all the little annoying bugs that scared Mommy. "What a good Kitty." Mommy would say patting Good Kitty on the head just as Phoebe gathered her cat up in her arms and took her away.

"You can leave her here for a little while, you know." Phyllida said as Phoebe took her soft warm precious ball of fur and slid her off Phyllida's lap where she had been cuddling. "She's mine." Phoebe reminded her sister jealously scooping her sweet baby kitty out of her sister's lap.

Good Kitty went and chased the ball when Daddy threw it. She didn't chase socks or go after people's legs and various body parts when they moved them under the blanket.

When Phoebe woke up in the morning or came home from school or got ready for bed or whenever she saw a little white cat, she said "Which Kitty are you Good Kitty or Bad Kitty?." There weren't really two Kitties at all. There was one kitty who could be bad or good, friendly or not friendly, sweet or not so sweet depending on the day and time and the situation and a million other factors. She was a cat with a mind of her own. Just like Phoebe was a girl with a mind of her own. However, whether it was a Good Kitty day or a Bad Kitty day or a Good Kitty or Bad Kitty minute, or Good Kitty or Bad Kitty hour. Phoebe loved her Kitty and Kitty loved her right back.

Quella Runs Quick

2013-06-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

Quella Featherstone was a very quick runner. She was faster than all of the girls in her class. She was faster than all of the girls her age in her town. In fact, she was faster than most of the boys her age in her town. Quella took great pride in her speed, and she was happy to challenge any new kids to a race because she was so confident she could beat them.

One day a new girl moved to town. She was in Quella's class. Her name was Penny Todd. Quella secretly laughed to herself when she saw Penny. Penny was really short and she had short legs. She wouldn't even be a challenge for Quella to race. Still, Quella had a reputation to keep up so she challenged Penny to a race.

Penny accepted happily. "Sure, I'd like to race you." she agreed. She did not seem worried at all.

The other kids tried to warn her not to race Quella. They told her that Quella was really fast. They told her that Quella could beat all of the other girls in class. They told her that Quella could beat all the other girls in town their age. They told her that Quella could beat most of the boys.

"I am fast." bragged Quella. She didn't see it as bragging though. She thought of it as just confirming what the other kids had already said.

Quella looked Penny over and chuckled to herself. There was no way that little thing could beat her when so many others had failed before. For once in her life, she decided to be kind and thoughtful and not crush another unsuspecting opponent. "That's okay." she said to Penny. "You don't have to race me."

"Nonsense." exclaimed Penny rolling her eyes at Quella. "Of course, I am going to race you, and I am going to win." she added confidentally.

All Quella's kind and thoughtful feelings instantly went out of her head. Her eyes blazed and her ears burned. All she could think about was outrunning Penny and making her eat her words. "Oh, it's on then." she replied hotly.

"It's on alright." agreed Penny just as hotly.If looks could kill they both would have been dead on the floor.

They choose a time and place for the race, the next day at the park. The next day when they each arrived at the park separately, word of the race had spread all over town. The park was full. Nobody wanted to miss it. They all wanted to see if anybody could possibly beat Quella the quick.

Quella and Penny took their places at the agreed upon starting line. Somebody called "One, two, three, go!" and they were off. The other kids cheered wildly. Some of them cheered for Quella. Some of them cheered for Penny. Some just cheered in general.

Then, something unusual happened. Quella and Penny reached the finish line at exactly the same time. Quella looked at Penny. Penny looked at Quella. "That never happened before." said Quella with surprise. "I am always the fastest. I have never met anybody as fast as me."

"That never happened to me before either." replied Penny. "At my old school I was always the fastest."

"Well this changes everything." said Quella.

"It does?" asked Penny.

"Yes, now we are the two fastest girls in town" explained Quella. "So, of course, we are going to be friends." she smiled at Penny.

"We are?" asked Penny but she smiled back.

"Yes," replied Quella. "because we fast girls need to stick together."

"Okay." agreed Penny.

After all, they both agreed it was better to share the top then to be even one step closer to the bottom.

Sienna Feels Sick

2013-06-19T17:02:00.001-07:00

Sienna James lay on the couch with her head in her hands. Her head was pounding like a drum. Her body ached all over. She was coughing, and she was sneezing. Her throat felt scratchy as sandpaper. "Achoo!" she sneezed into the crumbled tissue that she gripped in her fist.

"What's wrong, baby?" asked Mommy entering the room upon hearing her daughter's sneeze. Her face looked full of concern as she sat beside Sienna.

"I don't feel so good, mommy" Sienna replied weakly.

Mommy touched Sienna's forehead, and then kissed it. "You're burning up. " she said worriedly. She took Sienna's temperature. It was 101 degrees. "My poor baby." she said kissing Sienna again. She took Sienna and bundled her up in the car and took her to the doctor. The doctor said that Sienna had the flu.

Mommy took Sienna home and took her up to her room. In her room, Mommy put Sienna in her pajamas and tucked her into bed. She turned off the light and tiptoed out of the room. Immediately, Sienna sat straight up in her bed even though it hurt her head to do so. "Mommy!" she yelled scratchily.

"What's wrong?" asked Mommy.

"Stay with me, please." begged Sienna.

Mommy sat down and put her arms around Sienna. She sang her a lullaby and sat with her until she fell asleep.

Sienna was sick for a week. Every day, Mommy took care of her. Mommy made her chicken soup and helped her eat it. Mommy sang songs to her. Mommy read to her. Sometimes, Mommy just sat beside her and put her arms around Sienna.

One morning, Sienna woke up and she felt better. She wasn't coughing. She wasn't sneezing. Her head wasn't pounding, and she didn't feel achy at all. "Mommy!" she called excitedly. When Mommy didn't come, she went into Mommy's room looking for her.

Mommy was lying in bed. She opened her eyes sleepily as Sienna entered the room. Mommy sneezed.

"Bless you, mommy." said Sienna. She ran and got Mommy a tissue. "Are you okay?" she asked as she returned and handed the tissue to Mommy.

"Thanks." said Mommy taking the tissue and blowing her nose. "No." replied Mommy in answer to Sienna's question. "I'm not okay." she admitted with a scratchy voice. "My head is pounding and my body is aching. I am coughing and sneezing, and my throat hurts."

"Oh Mommy." said Sienna sympathetically climbing up on the bed beside her mother. "I think you have the flu, but don't worry I'll take care of you now." she promised. "Just like you took care of me."

Baby Bonnie Says No

2013-06-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Shanna Meehan was 6. Her baby sister Bonnie was 2. Bonnie was very much in her terrible twos. She liked to say no. She liked to say no to everything. You didn't even have to ask her a question for her to say no.

"Good morning!" said Mommy cheerfully to Shanna and Bonnie as she opened the curtains and let the sunlight stream through the window in the morning.

Bonnie stood up in her crib. "No!" she replied but she said it cheerfully.

"Shanna get dressed." said Mommy. Shanna nodded her head and quickly started putting on her pink and blue sundress that was set out on her chair.

"Come let's get you dressed too." Mommy said to Bonnie.

Bonnie said. "No!"

Mommy got her dressed anyway in her smiley face shirt and yellow shorts. When Shanna and Bonnie were both dressed and Shanna's bed was made, Mommy said. "Time for breakfast."

Shanna nodded. "Can we have cheesy scrambled eggs?" she asked as they went down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Bonnie shook her head as Mommy put her into her highchair. "No!" she said. "No! No! No!"

"Mommy!" whined Shanna. "She's not in charge."

"Don't worry." Mommy assured her. "Bonnie likes cheesy eggs."

"No. No. No." repeated Bonnie calmly. She didn't really seem upset.

Mommy made eggs anyway. When she put Bonnie's plate in front of her, Bonnie said ."No."

"Why don't you eat your eggs?" asked Shanna with a mouthful of eggs herself. "They're delicious!" She swallowed and took another mouthful.

Bonnie said. "NO!" she pushed the plate of eggs away and turned her head.

Shanna couldn't help laughing. "Bonnie," she said to her little sister. "Don't you like anything?"

"No." said Bonnie.

Shanna finished eating. She put her dirty dish in the sink to be washed. Then, she came and stood by her little sister's chair. "Do you want anything?" she asked Bonnie.

Bonnie said "No!"

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Shanna asked again.

"No!" said Bonnie again.

"How about a kiss from big sister?" suggested Shanna.

"Yes!" said Bonnie. Shanna kissed her. "Yes!" repeated Bonnie. Shanna kissed her again. "Yes." said Bonnie again. Shanna kept kissing her little sister and Bonnie kept saying. "Yes."

Finally Shanna asked tiredly. "Can I ever stop kissing you?"

"No!" said Bonnie.

Krista Can't Keep a Secret

2013-06-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Krista Farentino couldn't keep a secret. She didn't mean to tell, but somehow she always did. "Don't worry abut that ugly old bike of yours." she told her sister, Kyla. "Your getting that pink princess bike you wanted for your birthday."

"Mommy!" Kyla pouted glaring at her sister angrily. "I wanted to be surprised!"

Krista told her Dad about the dent in the car, Mommy got trying to back the car out of the garage. "Look Daddy!" she said pointing to the scratch. Daddy touched the dent and knelt down on the floor beside it frowning.

Mommy shook her head and frowned at Krista. "It's just a tiny little thing. You can hardly see it." Mommy said to Daddy.

Krista didn't mean to tell all the time. She didn't want everyone to always be mad at her. Still, somehow secrets always came bursting out of her before she could stop them. It got to the point where nobody wanted to tell Krista anything. She felt sad, lonely and left out.

It got particularly bad one week when every time, she turned around, Mommy and Kyla seemed to be talking in hushed voices about something. Every time, Krista came near they stopped talking. "What are you talking about so secretly?" Krista asked Kyla.

"Nothing." said Kyla quickly making herself busy.

"Mommy?" asked Krista looking up at her mother with sad puppy dog eyes. She hated being left out.

Mommy tried to be strong, but she just felt so bad for Krista. She knew that Krista didn't mean to blurt out secrets all the time. "We're planning a surprise party for Daddy's birthday." Mommy said finally.

"Mom!" shrieked Kyla jumping angrily out of her chair. "Why did you tell her? Now, we'll never be able to keep it from Dad. We might as well tell him we're making him a party."

"Give her a chance. Maybe, this time she'll surprise us." replied Mommy calmly and confidentally.

"She has had plenty of chances! That is exactly why we don't tell her secrets anymore." replied Kyla storming out of the room.

Krista was so happy to be in on the planning of the party. She promised herself this time she was going to keep the secret. It was hard. "What were you three all whispering about?" asked Daddy one evening after he had seen Krista and Kyla and Mommy all huddled together at the kitchen table when he came home from work.

Krista smiled a little too brightly. "Oh just girl stuff, Daddy." she said.

"Krista?" asked Daddy frowning as though he didn't believe her.

"Gotta do homework." exclaimed Krista hurriedly leaving the room when she felt the secret struggling to come out of her.

The next day, when they were all sitting around the living room watching TV, Daddy said. "I thought we'd all go out to dinner for my birthday next week." Kyla looked worriedly at Krista.

"Oh, Daddy." replied Krista. "Can we go to Cracker Barrel? That is my favorite restaurant."

Mommy smiled at Krista. Then, she looked at Kyla as if to say 'You see there is nothing to worry about'. Kyla didn't seem convinced though. There was still a week left to go plenty of time for Krista to blurt out the secret.

The week went by and there were a few close calls, but Krista never blurted out the secret. Every time, she thought she was going to, she did something else. She left the room, she bit her lip, she took a drink of water anything she could think of to distract herself and keep the secret inside her.

Daddy was really surprised and happy about the party. He couldn't believe they had managed to keep it such a surprise especially with Krista's reputation for telling secrets. "But how?" he kept asking shaking his head and looking mostly at Krista.

"I kept a secret, Daddy." said Krista happily.

"Yes, she did." replied Mommy. "and we are all proud of her." she added.

"I'm proud of myself too." replied Krista.

Cassie Climbs A Tree

2013-06-02T16:28:00.001-07:00

A big old oak tree stood in the backyard of the house where the Warner family lived. From the time she was just a tiny little thing, Cassie loved that tree. When she was a baby, she would lie on a blanket under the tree and look up at it. "Do you like the pretty tree?" Mommy would ask with a smile as Cassie continued staring at it.

As Cassie got older, she thought of it as her tree. When she was three or four, she ran around the tree waving her arms in the air and shouting, "Twee! Twee!" She pointed up as if she wanted to go up in the tree.

"Maybe, when you get a little older, you can climb the tree." said Mommy. "You are too little now."
Cassie burst into tears. She hated to be too little for anything. She really wanted to go up in her tree.

When she got older, she tried climbing up the tree, but it hurt her fingers trying to hold onto the bark and she kept sliding down and scrapping herself. She tried jumping up to the lowest branch, but she just couldn't get high enough to reach it.

"Maybe - " said Mommy but before she could get another word out Cassie interrupted her.

"Maybe, when I get a little older. I know! I know! I'm so sick of that! I want to be older now! I want to climb my tree now!"

A few weeks later, Grandma came to visit. "My you've gotten taller." Grandma said to Cassie kissing her on the check.

Could it really be true? Could she finally have gotten taller? She ran to the full length mirror in her Mom's room to check it out. She really did look taller.! She smiled at her reflection. Maybe, she would be able to climb her tree now. She couldn't wait to go outside and try.

Cassie ran outside to her tree. She reached up to the tree, but she still couldn't reach the lowest branch. She stood on her tiptoes and stretched her arms out as long as she could and even then she couldn't reach it. She jumped and reached for the branch and just missed it. She jumped again and this time she made it. She grabbed onto the branch with one hand. Then, she grabbed on with the other. She just hung there for a minute.Then, with her legs she hoisted herself up into the tree. She climbed up to a higher branch and looked down. The ground looked so pretty from way up here. It sure looked a long way down though. "Mommy! Mommy!" she called in a mixture of excitement and fright.

A few minutes later, Mommy still hadn't come out of the house. "Mommy! Mommy!" called Cassie a little bit louder. Mommy came out of the house. "Whatever is the matter?" she asked without even looking up in the tree. "Grandma and I were making lunch." She looked around but did not see Cassie.

"Mommy, mommy I am up here." said Cassie. "I climbed my tree. I'm finally big enough." she said proudly.

"Oh that's great honey." said Mommy finally looking up and seeing Cassie in the tree. "I'm happy for you. You have been waiting to climb that tree for a long time. Now, why don't you come down and get washed, and we'll have lunch. " she added. She turned around and headed back in the house.

"Mommy! Mommy!" called Cassie. "Mommmy, come back!"

Mommy had just reached the door of the house when she turned around. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"Mommy," said Cassie. "Can you please get me out of this tree?"

Mommy laughed. "I'll go get Daddy." she said.

Pajama Day

2013-05-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

It was a cold and grey winter day. Ilianna Zorich snuggled under her big fluffy patchwork quilt. She was wearing her favorite pink and purple striped flannel pajamas. It was such a nice day to snuggle under the covers. She did not want to get up at all.

Mommy entered the room. She threw open the drapes. "Wake up, sleepyhead!" She called cheerfully. Ilianna groaned and buried herself deeper under her covers. Mommy laughed. She kissed Ilianna on the forehead, tossed the covers off and gently pulled her out of bed. "Come have breakfast." she said. It was not a suggestion.

Ilianna threw on her robe and stumbled into her slippers. She was still not fully awake. She sleepily followed her mother out of the room.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" asked her mother. Ilianna shook her head. "Maybe after breakfast." she said.

Breakfast was delicious. Ham, egg and cheese. Ilianna's favorite. After breakfast, Ilianna helped clear the table.

"Are you going to get dressed now?" asked her mother as the last dish was being put into the dishwasher.

Ilianna shook her head. "Not yet." she replied. She went into the family room and sat down on the couch with the soft flowered blanket her Grandmother had crocheted. She sat there for two hours and watched a movie.

Just as the movie was ending, Mommy entered the room. "It's almost lunch time." she said. "Now, are you going to get dressed?" she wanted to know.

Ilianna felt so cozy in her warm soft pajamas. She just wasn't ready to get dressed. She shook her head.

After lunch, Mommy said. "Why don't you get dressed and go out and get some exercise?"

Ilianna looked out at the snow covered lawn. She listened to the sound of the howling wind. She shivered just thinking about how cold it was out there. That was the last place she wanted to be. She shook her head. "I can get exercise without getting dressed and without going out there." she said. Her mother looked doutbful, but Ilianna smiled at her. "Really I can." she said.

Ilianna took out her CD player and a bunch of CDs. She spent the afternoon dancing around the living room to her favorite CDs with her stuffed animals. When she finally got tired out, she collapsed onto the couch.

"Now are you going to get dressed?" asked her mother.

Ilianna shook her head. At the moment, she was too tired to do anything. She didn't move off the couch.

By dinner time, Ilianna still hadn't gotten dressed. "Don't you think you should get dressed now?" asked her mother.

Ilianna shook her head. "That would be silly." she replied. "In a few hours I am going to get undressed again anyway. Why waste a whole clean outfit on a few hours?" she asked. Her mother just shook her own head but didn't say anything.

That night when Mommy was tucking Ilianna into bed, she asked, "Why would you want to stay in your pajamas the whole day?" Mommy couldn't understand it at all. She liked to get dressed as soon as she woke up.

Ilianna sat up in bed excitedly. "Oh, mommy!" she said excitedly. " because I just love pajama days."

Go to Bed Gia

2013-05-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Gia Fontana couldn't fall asleep. She didn't really want to go sleep anyway. Sleeping was so boring. There were so many more interesting things to do. She stared at the ceiling. She played with the toys on her bed for a while. She looked out the window. Suddenly, she saw a giant shadow outside her window. She leaped out of bed, raced down the hall and flung herself into Mommy and Daddy's room. "Mommy! Daddy!" she exclaimed with fright, "There is a Monster outside my window!"

Mommy frowned. She didn't believe it. She figured it was just Gia wasting time again. She knew Gia hated to go to bed.

"No, really, mommy. There is a Monster outside my window." insisted Gia.

"I'll go see." said Daddy. He took Gia back to her room. She stood outside the door as he went in the room. He flicked on the light. He went over to the window. He looked out. He laughed. "Come and see, Gia." he said.

Gia quietly tiptoed into the room. She put her fingers over her face and peered through them out the window. All she saw was the shadow of the giant oak tree in the yard. "Oh,." she said. "I thought it was a Monster."

Daddy tucked Gia back into bed. He kissed her on the forehead. "Go to bed, Gia." he said.

Gia still didn't sleep. She whispered songs to herself. She counted as high as she could. She wiggled her toes. Then, she heard a noise. This time she knew it was a Monster. She leaped out of bed, she raced down the hall, she flung herself into Mommy and Daddy's room. "This time there is really a Monster outside my window." she said.

Mommy frowned and folded her arms in front of her disappointedly. "Go to bed, Gia." she said. "There are no Monsters."

Gia didn't budge. If Mommy was so brave, let her go and face the Monster. Gia was not going back there to face that Monster all by herself.

Her Dad took her by the hand and led her back to her room. He turned on the light again. He looked out the window. He smiled. He led Gia over to the window. He pointed out the window to the shutters banging against the house in the wind. "You see that is what was making the noise." he explained. "There are no Monsters. Now, go to bed, Gia."

By now, Gia was actually starting to get tired. She didn't even want to stay up anymore. She closed her eyes. Then, she heard another noise. This time it sounded like it was coming from her own room. Gia was more scared than ever. She leaped out of bed, she raced down the hall, she flung herself into Mommy and Daddy's room. "Please, mommy!' she cried. "Please Daddy." she said. "This time there really is a Monster and it's in my room!"

"Gia!" said her mother. "This is enough. You really need to go to bed. Go back to your room. We have already put you to bed three times."

Gia threw herself at her mother's feet. "Please, mommy." she cried. "Please don't make me go back there alone."

By now, Gia's father was getting angry too. He practically dragged Gia back to her room. He tucked her into her bed. He leaned down to kiss her, but then stood up suddenly. He had heard a noise too and it was definitely coming from somewhere in Gia's room. He tiptoed around the room listening carefully. Finally, he flung open the closet door. The sound got louder. Now, it sounded like a baby crying. "Mama! Mama!"

Gia hid under her covers. "Gia." said Daddy. Gia was startled and she dug even deeper under her covers. Daddy gently took her out from under. "Here is your Monster!" said Daddy placing Gia's favorite doll, Lillybelle into her arms. "Lillybelle fell out of the toybox in your closet. She must have accidentally turned herself on when she fell." Daddy explained. Gia took Lilybelle from Daddy. She flipped the switch and turned Lillybelle on. "Mama! Mama!" said Lillybelle. Gia quickly turned her off again.

"Go to bed, Gia." said Daddy. He tucked her in again. He kissed her, turned out the light and left her room. By now, Gia was exhausted. She closed her eyes and went right to sleep.

Erica Wants Everything

2013-04-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Erica Simms had a lot of things. She had dolls. She had stuffed animals. She had games. She had puzzles. She had more toys than anybody could possibly want or need. At least that's what Erica's Mom and Dad thought. Erica, however, didn't think so. She always wanted more. Every time, Erica saw a commercial or looked through a magazine or went to a friend's house and saw a new toy she wanted it. Mommy and Daddy were really tired of it.

"Mommy!" exclaimed Erica excitedly one afternoon pointing to the television. "I want a Barbie's dream house."

"Erica, " replied Mommy. "you already have a Loving Family doll house."

"But mommy!" whined Erica. "The Barbie Dream House has an elevator."

"So you don't want your Loving Family House anymore?" asked Mommy. Erica shook her head. "Okay." said Mommy. She went to the garage and got some big black garbage bags. She put Erica's doll house and all her doll house furniture and people into the bags.

Erica clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh Mommy!" she said. "When do I get my Dream House?"

Mommy looked at Erica, and shook her head. "You said you didn't want your doll house anymore so I took care of it. I didn't say I was getting you a new doll house." Mommy carted the now full garbage bags back out to the garage. Erica just watched her. She was too stunned to say anything.

A few days later, Erica came home from a playdate at a friend's house. "Mommy!" she exclaimed jealously. "Evie has a baby doll that grows a tooth."

"You've got plenty of baby dolls. " replied Mommy calmly. She barely looked up from the magazine she was leafing through.

"I don't have a baby doll that grows a tooth!" pouted Erica. "I hate all my baby dolls! I want a baby doll that grows a tooth too!"

"I see." said Mommy. She closed her magazine and left it on the table. She went to the garage and got a bunch more big black garbage bags. She loaded up all Erica's baby dolls in the garbage bags and carried them out to the garage. Erica's jaw dropped and her big brown eye's opened wide, but she didn't say a word.

After about a week later, Erica's didn't have so many toys anymore. In fact, her room looked kind of empty. Mommy found her in her room crying in her bed. "What's the matter?" she asked with concern.

"I miss my toys!" cried Erica. "I want my Loving Family House!"

"But it isn't a Barbie Dream House." pointed out Mommy.

"I don't care!" exclaimed Erica. Mommy went to the garage and got Erica's doll house and everything that went with it. She gave it all back to Erica. Erica stopped crying. She smiled and hugged her doll house. "I want my baby dolls!" she said.

"But none of them grow a tooth." Mommy reminded her.

"I don't care they're my babies." said Erica, "and I miss them.

Mommy went to the garage and got all the bags with Erica's baby dolls and brought them in. Erica carefully took the baby dolls out of the bags and hugged and kissed each one.

Before long, Erica had all her toys back, and she was so happy. That night when they were watching TV, she saw a commercial for a new game. "That is so cool!" she said excitedly. "I want that game!" She looked at Mommy. Mommy looked as though she was ready to get up from the couch and start taking away Erica's stuff again so Erica quickly added. "Maybe, some day I'll get that game, but right now I really love all the games I already have." She smiled at Mommy. Mommy smiled back, and they continued watching TV.

Other People's Things

2013-04-25T14:06:00.001-07:00

Orleigh Anderson was a girly girly. She loved to dress up. She loved to wear make up even though because of her young age, her mother only let her wear lip gloss and nail polish. Most of all she loved jewelry especially shiny sparkly jewelry. She would sit in front of her mother's dressing table for hours trying on her mother's jewelry. Her favorite piece was a necklace with sparkly colored stones on a thick gold chain. Orleigh couldn't wait to grow up and have beautiful jewelry like that of her own.

One afternoon, Orleigh was playing dress up. She was pretending she was a beautiful princess. She put on her favorite dress up dress. It was pinky and flowery. She put on her favorite dress up shoes.They were pink too and had big pink bows. She brushed her hair and put a pretty pink ribbon in it. She put on a little lip gloss. Then, she looked in the mirror to admire herself. Something was definitely missing. She stared at herself in the mirror for a while.

"I know." she said finally. "I need some jewelry." She pulled her musical jewelry box off of the shelf and emptied it on to the floor. She searched through every piece of jewelry she owned and then frowned. Not one piece of jewelry she owned looked good enough for a princess.

Then, she thought of Mommy's sparkly stone necklace. That would be perfect! Orleigh knew she was not allowed to use Mommy's jewelry without permission. However, she couldn't stop thinking about how good it would look on her with her dress up clothes. She hurried quietly into Mommy's room. She wasn't going to take the necklace, she was just going to try it on and see how it looked with her outfit. She quietly slid open Mommy's jewelry drawer and pulled out the necklace. The sun shined through the window making the necklace really sparkle. Orleigh slipped the necklace around her neck and looked in the mirror. It was perfect and beautiful just like she knew it would be.

Just then, she heard a voice calling her. It was her mother, "Orleigh! Orleigh!" she said angrily. "Get down here! I have been calling you for ten minutes! It's time for lunch!" Orleigh didn't want to make her mother even angrier. She forgot all about the necklace and hurried down to lunch.

That night Mommy and Daddy were going out to dinner for their anniversary. Orleigh was going to be staying with a babysitter. Orleigh excitedly watched Mommy get ready. Mommy looked so beautiful in her pretty white dress. She pinned her hair up in a bun with a couple of pins and put make up on. Then, she reached into her jewelry drawer and took out a pair of colorful stone earrings. She reached into her jewelry drawer again and came up empty handed. She frowned. She searched all through the drawer and then frowned again. She looked up at Orleigh. She did not look at all happy. "Orleigh," she said very slowly as if trying to keep herself from getting angry. "Were you playing with my colored stone necklace?"

Orleigh swallowed hard, but didn't say anything. Her mother glared at her. Finally, Orleigh nodded slowly and hung her head down.

"Then, where is it?" asked her mother. She didn't sound so much angry as disappointed. That was almost worse.

Orleigh suddenly remembered that she hadn't taken the necklace off. She reached her hands up to her neck, but the necklace was gone. Orleigh gasped.

"What's wrong?" asked Mommy. Her voice was a mixture of anger and concern.

"I'm sorry, mommy." cried Orleigh throwing herself at her mother's feet and begging for forgiveness.

"Orleigh." said Mommy quietly and calmly as she lifted up Orleigh's chin and forced her to look right in Mommy's eyes. "What do I always tell you about other people's things?"

"Don't touch other people's things without permission." replied Orleigh with a sigh.

"Because?" prompted Mommy.

"Because I wouldn't want anybody touching my things without permission." answered Orleigh. Just then she spied something sparkly on the floor under Mommy's dressing table. She got down on her hands and knees and reached under the table and pulled out Mommy's necklace. "Mommy!" she said excitedly handing the necklace to her mother.

Mommy took the necklace and slid it around her neck. "This is not over. " she said. "I am happy you found my necklace again, but we are still going to have to discuss a punishment for you for taking it in the first place."

"I know, Mommy." replied Orleigh. Right now, she didn't even care she was just so relieved that the necklace had been found.

Jeannie the Queen of the World

2013-04-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Jeannie Morris was very bossy. She was always telling her little sister, Jessie what to do. "Let's play Barbies." she said.

"I would rather play pet shops." said Jessie.

Jeannie shook her head. "No, we are playing Barbies." she insisted.

"Who died and left you Queen of the World, Jeannie? asked Jessie resentfully.

However, in the end they did what Jeannie wanted like they always did.

Jeannie was bossy with her friends too. She decided what they would do, where they would do it and for how long they would do it. "I'm tired of watching this show." she would say to her best friends, Ruby and Elinor as they sat on the couch after school watching TV together, "Change the channel." And, they did. They knew better than to argue. Even when the tried to give a different opinion than Jeannie's Jeannie would give them an angry look, and they would instantly back down.

Life went along happily and peacefully. At least Jeannie thought so. Until Ophelia Rayburn moved to town. Jeannie wanted to like Ophelia. She really did. She considered herself a nice friendly girl. She and Ruby and Elinor went over to Ophelia's house at their first opportunity. "Hello." she said warmly. "I'm Jeannie and this is Ruby and Elinor." she added pointing to her friends.

Ophelia seemed nice enough at first. "Hello." she said back equally as warmly. "I'm Ophelia."

"Would you like to come over to my house with us?" asked Jeannie.

"Let's play in my backyard." said Ophelia. She did not say it as if it were a suggestion. Jeannie gave her an angry look that would have instantly melted Ruby or Elinor, but Ophelia didn't even blink. "Come on let's go." Ophelia urged. Ruby and Elinor who were used to taking orders followed immediately. Not wanting to be left out, Jeannie reluctantly followed too.

In the backyard, Jeannie tried to take back control of the situation. "Let's go on the swing set." she said and she did not mean it as a suggestion.

"Let's built a sand castle in my sandbox." said Ophelia. She did not mean it as a suggestion either. Jeannie glared at her. Ophelia started right back at Jeannie. Ruby and Elinor hesitated for a minute but eventually followed Ophelia. It was her house after all. Jeannie went along too. She did not like to be left out even more than she did not like to not be in control. She was not happy to go along though. She did not like that Ophelia. She did not like her at all.

Finally, it was time for Ophelia to go inside. "Goodbye," she called out as she went into her house. "Thanks for coming. We'll play again tomorrow."

"Goodbye." replied Ruby and Elinor. They didn't seem upset at all. In fact, they seemed to like Ophelia. Jeannie couldn't understand it. She held her tongue and said nothing.

As soon as they had moved away from Ophelia's house, Jeannie could hold her tongue no longer. "I don't like that Ophelia." she said angrily.

"Why?" asked Ruby.

"She seems like a nice girl." added Elinor. They seemed surprised that Jeannie didn't like Ophelia.

"She is just so bossy." replied Jeannie surprised that she even had to tell them. She couldn't believe that they couldn't see it for themselves. "We always have to do what she wants to do."

Ruby and Elinor exchanged looks. Then, they burst out laughing.

Jeannie didn't see what was so funny. "What's with you two?" she asked a little more angry than curious.

Ruby and Elinor instantly stopped laughing. "Oh, Jeannie." Ruby said very seriously. "You are exactly the same way." Elinor bobbed her head up and down in agreement.

"No, I am not!" Jeannie insisted.

"You really are." replied Elinor although she didn't say it with anger. "I mean can you think of one single time ever that we did what Ruby or I wanted to do and not what you wanted to do?"

Jeannie instantly opened her mouth to defend herself. "There was the time --" she said, but she didn't say anything else. She realized she couldn't think of any time ever that they did what Ruby or Elinor wanted to do instead of what she wanted to do. She hung her head sadly. She was not a good friend at all. She was just like that awful Ophelia.

Ruby and Elinor immediately came to her defense. "Don't get us wrong." said Ruby. "We love you and your our friend."

"Yes." added Elinor, "But it would be nice if you weren't always so bossy."

Jeannie instantly felt much better. She had the best friends in the world. She surely didn't deserve them, but from now on she was going to do much better or at least she hoped so. "I'll try." she promised.

The Happy Flower

2013-04-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Zara McKenzie was feeling sad and blue. It was raining outside, and she had nothing to do. She had a fight with her best friend, Jolie Abbott. There was nothing on TV. It was just generally a bad day.

"What's the matter?" asked her mother.

"I just feel sad today." replied Zara with a sigh.

"Why don't you read a book?" suggested her mother.

"I don't feel like it." replied Zara.

"Why don't you play with your toys?"

"I don't feel like it." replied Zara again.

"Why don't you call Jolie?"

Zara glared at her mother. "We are not speaking." she said.

"So, " said her mother. "You are just going to sit there all day and feel sorry for yourself?"

"Maybe," replied Zara.

Her mother shook her head sadly and left the room. Zara resumed staring out the window.

A little while later, Grandma arrived. "How is my beautiful granddaughter?" she asked cheerfully kissing Zara on the cheek.

"Hi Grandma." replied Zara not nearly as cheerfully as she quickly rubbed the traces of Grandma's lipstick off her cheek.

"Well that doesn't sound like a very cheerful hello." said Grandma. "What is the matter?"

"I'm just sad today, Grandma." Zara told her.

"I have just the thing to cheer you up." said Grandma.

"You do?" asked Zara in surprise. She just felt so sad today. She didn't really think there was anything Grandma could do to make her feel better.

"Sure I do. " replied Grandma. She opened her big pocketbook and took out a pink plastic flower pinned to a hairclip. "Here." she said to Zara. "This is my happy flower. Whenever I wear it, I feel better. I don't need it today so you can borrow it."

Zara shook her head. "No thanks, Grandma. I don't think a flower is going to make me feel better." Grandma didn't listen. She proceeded to pin the flower to Zara's hair.

"Now look at yourself you're beautiful." Grandma insisted. Zara didn't want to but Grandma put a mirror in front of her face, and she couldn't help seeing herself in it.

"I do look pretty." she said. She felt a little better but not much.

By now, it had stopped raining. Zara and Grandma decided to go for a walk. On the way, they walked right past Jolie's house. Jolie was standing on the driveway as they went by. "I like your flower." she called to Zara as she passed.

"Thanks." replied Zara.

Jolie ran up to her. "I don't remember what we were fighting about, but I'm sorry."

Zara smiled. "I don't remember either, and I'm sorry too." she said.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" asked Jolie.

"Yes." replied Zara. "I'll see you tomorrow." She and Grandma continued walking.

Finally, they arrived home. It was just about dinner time. Mommy asked Zara to help Grandma set the table in the dining room. Zara grabbed a handful of silverware from the kitchen drawer. As she went past the big mirror in the hallway, she saw her reflection.The flower was gone from her hair. "Oh no." she said worriedly. "Grandma I lost your happy flower."

Grandma smiled. "Don't worry." she said. "It was just an ordinary flower. There is no such thing as a happy flower. Happiness is not something that just comes to us. Happiness is something that we have to look for."

Zara shook her head at Grandma. "But, then why did you tell me it was a happy flower?"

"If I told you, you had to find your own happiness would you have believed me?"

Zara shook her head again. "No, I wouldn't." she admitted. Just then she spied a bit of pink on the dining room floor. She leaned down and picked it up. It was the flower. "Look, Grandma!" she said excitedly. "I found it! Can I keep it?"

"You do know it isn't really a happy flower and it can't make you happy all by itself?" asked Grandma.

"But it does make happy." replied Zara with a smile. "Not because it is brings me happiness or anything like that. It makes me happy because it reminds me of you because you gave it to me."

Now, it was Grandma's turn to smile. She hugged her granddaughter. "You're a very smart girl."

"I take after you." replied Zara.

Daphne's Doll

2013-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Daphne Olsen loved dolls. Her favorite doll was a soft and squishy baby doll named Dahlia. Daphne always called her Baby. From the moment Daphne laid eyes on Dahlia when she got her as a second birthday present from Mommy and Daddy, Dahlia was her Baby and her favorite toy in the world. Baby ate with her. Baby played with her. Baby took baths with her. Baby slept with her. Everywhere that Daphne went, Baby would be there too.

Once when they were sleeping over Grandma's Baby accidentally got left behind. Daphne cried and cried. Daddy tried to comfort her. "It's okay." he said sweetly patting her on the back.

"No Daddy!" said Daphne angrily pushing him away.

Mommy tried comforting her. She picked up Daphne in her arms and gently rocked her back and forth. "There, there, sweetie." she said.

Daphne pulled herself out of Mommy's arms. "Don't want Mommy! Want Baby!" she said breaking out into a fresh flood of tears.

Daddy ended up having to go all the way home and get Baby. It took him an hour to go home and come back. The whole time he was gone, Daphne cried. When he came back and handed her Baby, she happily snuggled the doll in her arms. Then and only then would she settle down and go to sleep.

Another time, Baby got lost at the mall. Daphne was sleeping in the stroller, and she woke up when they got to car."Baby! Baby!" she cried anxiously as Mommy tried to buckle her into her car seat. "What?" said Mommy. "Where is Baby?" She looked around the car, but didn't see Baby. She looked around the car again but still didn't see Baby. By now, Mommy was starting to get worried too. She took Daphne out of the car and strapped her back into her stroller.

"Baby! Baby!" cried Daphne unhappily as they headed back into the mall. Her eyes filled with tears.

In the mall, they started to go back into all the stores they had been to before.They went to five stores before they finally found Baby on the dressing room floor in Macys. She must have fallen out of the stroller while Daphne was sleeping. "Baby! Baby!" said Daphne happily reaching out for her doll. She instantly stopped crying and hugged her doll to her.

The only thing Daphne loved almost, but not quite as much as Baby was her pacifier. When she was about four, Mommy and Daddy finally got her to give up her pacifier. She still always wanted to chew on things though. She would chew on her blanket. She would chew on her hair. Mommy and Daddy were always having to tell Daphne to get things out of her mouth and stop chewing on them.

One of the things that Daphne liked to chew on was Baby's foot. "Don't chew on Baby's foot. It will break." Mommy and Daddy warned her. Daphne couldn't stop chewing on it though and eventually it did break off.

"Baby! Baby!" cried Daphne sadly. She scooped up Baby in her arms and handed her to Daddy. "Daddy fix, baby." she demanded. Daddy looked at her sadly. He didn't think he could fix Baby.

A week went by. It was a long and unhappy week. Daphne cried all the time. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She just cried for her Baby.

Finally at the end of the week, Mommy and Daddy had a surprise for her."Here you go." said Daddy handing something to her.

"Baby!" screamed Daphne excitedly. "My Daddy fix Baby." she said happily smiling at him gratefully. She looked at Baby. Then, she stopped smiling. She looked Baby all over. Something was different.

Mommy and Daddy looked at each other. They held their breath nervously.

"My Daddy got me a new Baby." said Daphne finally. She smiled again. Mommy and Daddy smiled too.

The Storm

2013-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was a cold and rainy night. The sound of the rain splashing against the window woke up four year old Mailee Rhinehart. She hated the rain. She was afraid of it. Whenever it rained, she was afraid it would turn into a thunderstorm and start thundering and lightening. She tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't. Finally, she got out of bed and quickly scrambled down the hall to her sister, Quinlee's room. Quinlee was six. She wouldn't be afraid.

Quinlee was fast asleep under her big flowered quilt. "Quinlee!" Mailee said shaking her sister. "Quinlee, it's raining!"

Quinlee sleepily opened one eye and glared at her sister. "So!?" said Quinlee. She rolled over and went back to sleep. Mailee climbed up in the bed next to her sister. She sighed contentedly. She felt so much better and safer not being alone anymore. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep too,

A little while later, it started raining harder. Quinlee sat up in bed. Mailee sat up in bed too. They listened to the ran for a few minutes. It was really loud and really scary sounding. "I don't like the rain." whispered Mailee.

"I don't either." replied Quinlee. "Come on." she said. She helped her little sister out of the bed and took her hand. They hurried down the hall to their big sister, Bailee's room. Bailee was eight. She was brave. The rain wouldn't bother her.

They went in Bailee's room. They climbed into bed with her. They snuggled close to her. Bailee opened her eyes for a moment and saw them. She sighed and went back to sleep. Quinlee and Mailee went back to sleep too.

A little while later, it started thundering and lightening. The loud crashes of thunder woke up the all three girls. They sat up in bed. Mailee was really scared. Quinlee was too. They grabbed Bailee's hands. Bailee stared out the window. By now, she was scared too. She didn't mind rain, but she didn't like thunder and lightening.
"Come on." she said quickly scrambling out of the bed. Quinlee and Bailee followed her.

They all hurried down the hall to their parent room. They climbed up in the bed with their Mom and Dad. Even though Mommy and Daddy had a big bed, it was crowded with Mommy, Daddy, and all three girls in it. Mommy and Daddy kept getting pushed further and further to the edges of their own bed.

The next morning, Mailee woke up first. She looked out the window. It had stopped raining, and it was quiet. She sighed with relief. She looked around her. She saw Quinlee. She saw Bailee. There was no sign of Mommy and Daddy. "Quinlee! Bailee!" she called worriedly. "Mommy and Daddy are gone!"

Bailee kept her eyes closed and buried her face under the pillow. Quinlee sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What are you talking about?" she said. She looked around. She didn't see Mommy or Daddy either. She looked around again. She still didn't see them. "Bailee!" she said shaking her older sister. "They're really not here!"

Bailee sat up and glared at her little sisters. Sometimes, she really wished she were an only child. "Of course, there here." she said. She looked around, but she didn't see them either.

"They're gone!" said Mailee again. She looked as if she were going to burst into tears any minute. Quinlee took her little sister's hand, but she looked as though she were going to cry too.

"Don't worry." Bailee assured them both, but she was a little worried herself. She helped her sisters out of the bed and took their hands. They tiptoed out of the room and down the hall.

"Look!" said Quinlee pointing in to her room. There was Mommy fast asleep in Quinlee's bed.

"Look!" said Bailee pointing in to her own room. There was Daddy fast asleep in Bailee's bed.

All three girls burst out laughing.

Dorinda Wants A Dog

2013-03-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Dorinda Farley was a very happy girl. She lived in nice big house and had her very own pink and purple decorated room. She had a Mom and Dad who loved her. The way Dorinda, saw it only there was only one thing her life was missing - a dog. For as long as Dorinda could remember she had asked her mother and father to get her a dog. "Please, Daddy." she begged constantly. "I really want one."

"Dogs are a lot of work, Dorinda." he told her.

"I"ll take care if it. I promise, Mommy." Dorinda would insist.

"I think you're too young for that kind of responsibility." her mother would reply and that would be the end of the discussion. Dorinda would walk away frowning and mumbling to herself that her parents would never think she was old enough.

One day, Dorinda's parents called her into their room. They looked at her with very serious expressions. "We have something to tell you." said her father.

"What is it?" asked Dorinda worriedly.

Her mother smiled at her. "Don't worry." she said, "It's nothing bad."

Dorinda sighed with relief. She still didn't know what it was about though.

"Goldie is going to be staying with us for while because Mr. Andrews has to go out of town unexpectedly. Mr. Andrews was their next door neighbor. Goldie was his dog. She was a golden retriever.

Dorinda's eyes lit up. "Really!" she exclaimed excitedly. If she couldn't really have her own dog at least she would get to borrow someone else's for a while. She decided to take the best care of Goldie that she could. Then, her parents would have to see that she was old enough and she was responsible enough, and they would have to get her a dog of her own.

From the moment, Goldie arrived Dorinda took care of her as if she were her own. She feed her everyday. She walked her everyday n the morning, in the afternoon, and at night. She walked her when the sun was shining and in the pouring rain. She cleaned her messes. She brushed her fur. She gave her a bath. She played with her. Pretty much whenever, she wasn't going to school or doing her homework, she spend every waking moment taking care of Goldie.

Finally, after about a week, Mr. Andrews came back, and it was time for Goldie to go home. He thanked Dorinda's parents for taking care of Goldie.

"It was all Dorinda," her mother explained proudly.

"Well, thank you for taking such good care of my Goldie." Mr. Andrews told Dorinda.

Part of Dorinda was sorry to see Goldie leave, but the other part of her was just exhausted so she went up to her room and lay down on her bed. Her mother and father found her there a little while later. "Dorinda." they said very seriously. "We have something to tell you."

Dorinda sat up in her bed worriedly. "Is it bad?" she asked.

"No, not at all." said her mother.

"We are really proud of the way you took care of Goldie." said her father.

"We didn't think you could do it. You are really growing up." added her mother.

Dorinda smiled happily at her parents praise.

"We think your finally old enough now." said her father smiling back at her.

"For what?" asked Dorinda. Did she miss something here?

"For a dog of your own." said her mother.

"Yes," added her father, "A dog of your own just like you've always wanted. You've certainly proven this week that you can take care of a dog. "

Dorinda didn't say anything. She just stared at her parents and she didn't look nearly as happy as they thought she would.

"What's the matter?" asked her mother. "Aren't you happy that you are finally going to get a dog of your own? Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

Dorinda rolled her eyes, shook her head, and sighed. "I used to want a dog, but I don't anymore. They are much to much work!"

Tea With Daddy

2013-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hilary Ziegler wanted to play tea party. It was her favorite game. She put on her favorite dress up dress. It was the Cinderella costume she wore last Halloween. She dressed up all her dolls and stuffed animals and put them in chairs around her little table. She set the table with her best little pink plastic toy dishes, with little pink plastic toy cups and shiny toys silver forks, knives and spoons and real paper napkins. She played for a little while, but then it got boring. It was annoying doing all the talking for everybody. Obviously her toys were never really going to talk back to her so she needed somebody else to play with.

Maybe, Mommy would play with her for a little while. She went downstairs to find Mommy. She couldn't find Mommy anywhere but she did find Daddy sitting on the couch watching TV. "Daddy!" she said. "Where is Mommy?"

"She went shopping." replied Daddy. He didn't take his eyes off the TV.

"Oh." replied Hilary disappointedly. Then, she got a brainstorm. Maybe, Daddy would play with her.
"Daddy?" she asked eagerly. "Will you play tea party with me?"

Daddy looked at her as though she had asked him to dance naked under the moon with him or something. "Tea party?" he said. "I'm a guy. I don't know anything about playing tea party."

Hilary looked up at him with big sad eyes. Daddy looked back at the TV. Hilary climbed up in his lap and put her arms around his neck. "Please Daddy." she said. She snuggled into him."I'll teach you how to play." she promised.

Daddy resisted and Hilary kept begging until finally he agreed."Okay, okay." he said. He followed Hilary to the playroom although he didn't seem so happy about it.

"You sit here, Daddy." said Hilary showing him to a chair. Daddy squeezed into the little chair, but he didn't want to break it so he decided to sit on the floor next to the table. Hilary decided that would be okay. She didn't ask him to dress up because she knew he wouldn't fit into her dress up clothes anyway. She did find an old straw hat for him to wear though.

"You be Prince Charming and I'll be Cinderella." said Hilary.

Daddy raised his eyebrows, but he said. "Okay."

Hilary lifted the little pink tea pot. "Would you like some tea, Prince Charming?" she asked.

"Why yes, thank you, Cinderella." replied Daddy. "And I must say you are looking mighty beautiful this fine day." he added really starting to get into the swing of things

"Why thank you, Prince Charming." said Hilary. "Daddy?" she added in a whisper. "Are you sure you never played this before. You're really good at it." She poured him some pretend tea and sliced him some pretend cake. Then, it was Daddy's turn to serve her. Afterwards, they decided they were really hungry. Daddy let her serve real cookies on her tiny toy plates and real water in her tiny toy cups.

After a while, they heard the sound of Mommy's car in the driveway. It was followed by the sound of the front door opening and then the sound of Mommy's footsteps on the stairs. "What are you doing?" Mommy asked peeking in the playroom door as she passed by with an arm full of packages.

"I am having tea with the princess." explained Daddy.

Mommy seemed surprised. She had never seen Daddy playing tea party before. "No what are you really doing?" she asked.

"I'm serious." replied Daddy. "I am having tea with the beautiful Princess Hilary.

"And I am having tea with the best Daddy in the whole wide world. "exclaimed Hilary throwing her arms around him and kissing him.

"And I am having tea with best Daddy in the whole world!"

Fiona The Flower Girl

2013-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Fiona Wallace was 7 years old. Her sister Bridget was 22 . They had the same mother but not the same father. From the moment, Fiona was born, Bridget adored her and the feeling was mutual. When Bridget went to college, every semester Fiona couldn't wait for the semester to end and Bridget to come home. She was so happy when Bridget graduated and came back.

Bridget had only been home a short time when Fiona was playing in the backyard one day. "Hey Fi!" she called to her little sister. "Come and talk to me."

Fiona couldn't help smiling. Nobody but Bridget called her Fi. She came up to the patio and sat in a chair next to her sister. As soon as she settled herself, she looked up into her sister's face. Bridget's face held a very serious expression. "Is everything okay?" asked Fiona worriedly.

"Oh everything is good." Bridget assured her with a smile. "Everything is really good. I just have something to tell you."

Fiona couldn't imagine what it could be. "Okay." she said eying her sister curiously.

"Justin and I are getting married." gushed Bridget all in a rush.

Fiona's jaw dropped. She sat there stunned but didn't stay anything.

"You like Justin, don't you Fi?"

Fiona nodded. Sure she liked Justin. He was really nice to her. He took Fiona to the Boardwalk with he and Bridget and won Fiona stuffed animals. Still, she would rather have Bridget stay living with her than be married to Justin.

"There's more." said Bridget excitedly.

'More?' thought Fiona unhappily. Bridget was already going to be getting married and moving out. What else could there be? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"I was kind of hoping you would be the flower girl at my wedding."

Fiona didn't say anything.

"You would get new outfit just for the wedding"

Fiona was a little bit interested now. She loved getting new clothes.

"You could wear a pretty gown ."

"Like a princess?" asked Fiona. Now, she was even more interested.

"Like a princess." said Bridget. "And you'd get to hold a basket of flowers."

"Pretty pink ones?"

"Pretty pink ones." promised Bridget. "And you'd get to walk down the aisle just like me."

Now, Fiona was really interested. She loved being the center of attention. She thought about walking down the aisle in front of all their friends and family wearing a beautiful princess dress and carrying a basket of pretty pink flowers. She smiled. "I'd like to be your flower girl." she said to her sister.

"Great!" said Bridget lifting Fiona into her arms and kissing her.

The next few months were taken up with wedding preparations.A place for the wedding was picked. Bridget got a wedding dress a beautiful ball gown covered with beads. Fiona got a dress too. A long pink satin dress with a purple sash. A band was hired. Flowers and food were picked out.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived. Fiona felt so grown up in her pretty dress and with her hair pinned up. She even had a new gold locket around her neck that Bridget and Justin gave her for being in the wedding.She walked down the aisle proudly holding her flower basket and smiling. During the rest of the wedding ceremony, she sat in the front row with her mother and father.

Afterwards, there was a big party. There was lots of dancing and food. Fiona had never had so much fun in her life. She had also never partied as long or stayed up as late. At the end of the night as Bridget was saying good night to the last few guests, Fiona sunk tiredly into a chair.

A few minutes later, Mom, Dad, Bridget and Justin came looking for her. "Thank you for being my flower girl, Fi." Bridget said. Fiona didn't say anything. "Fi?" said Bridget. Fiona still didn't say anything.

"Look." said Justin pointing to Fiona. "The poor little thing is all tired out." He pointed to Fiona fast asleep in the chair.

Lily Writes A Letter

2013-03-20T07:00:00.002-07:00

Lily Alcott was 5 years old. She was in kindergarten. She was learning how to to read and write and spell. She loved practicing them too. She was always begging her Mom and Dad to let her read to them. She was always writing letters all over her the blackboard on her big easel or on stray pieces of paper. She was always asking her Mom and Dad to give her words to spell. She even tried to give herself words to spell. Sometimes that worked okay. Other times, she came up with some pretty interesting spellings.

Lily sat at the the little pink wooden desk in her room one afternoon trying to spell words when her Mom came in waving a postcard. "Lily!" she called out . "You got mail!"

Lily jumped out of her seat and excitedly and clapped her hands with delight. "Oh boy!" she exclaimed. She loved getting mail and she hardly ever got any. She didn't even ask who it was from. She just kept jumping up and down excitedly.

"Don't you want to know who it's from?" Mommy teased finally.

Lily bobbed her head up and down. Yes! Yes! Yes! She took the postcard from her mother. She couldn't read the whole thing. She could just read the top where it said "Dear Lily" and at the bottom where it said "Love Grandma" and a word or two in-between. "Can you read it to me?" she asked her mother eagerly.

Her mother took the card back and read "Dear Lily, I am having a wonderful time and meeting all kinds of charming people. Yesterday, we road down Lombard Street the crookiest street in the world. Today we are going riding on a cable car and going to a chocolate factory. I can't wait to come home and see you, my beautiful granddaughter. Love Grandma." She handed the card back to Lily.

Lily smiled thinking warmly of her grandmother. "Where is Grandma?" she asked her mother.

"She's in San Francisco visiting Uncle Bob." Mommy reminded her.

"Oh yeah." replied Lily a little bit sadly. She really missed Grandma. She and her grandmother were really close. She turned the postcard over in her hand and looked at the picture on the front. "What's that?" she asked her mother.

"It's a cable car." Mommy explained.

"Oh." said Lily. She thought about Grandma riding on a cable car. That made Lily miss her even more.

"You know," said Mommy, "You can write Grandma a letter back."

Lily liked the idea of it, but she didn't know if she could do it. She had never written anyone a letter before. "What would I say?" she asked.

"Tell her we got her letter and how much you miss her." suggested Mommy.

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Lily. Now, she was really excited about it. She got Mommy to give her a pretty purple flowered piece of stationery and she took out a pencil and sat down at her desk.

"Do you need my help?" asked Mommy.

"No, thank you." said Lily. She was a big girl. She wanted to do it all by herself. She sat at her desk. She wrote in big letters on her piece of paper "DEAR GRANDMA, WE GOT YOUR LETTER. I MISS YOU. LOVE LILY." Then, without showing it to her mother, she put it in the envelope and sealed it up. She gave it to her mother to address, stamp and mail.

"So what did you write?" asked Mommy a little bit nosily or at least Lily thought so.

"That is between Grandma and me." Lily replied.

Mommy mailed the letter the next day.

About a week later Mommy and Lily were sitting next to each other on the couch and watching one of Lily's favorite movies on the DVD player. The phone rang. Mommy paused the DVD and answered the phone. "Lily," she said "It's for you."

Lily was surprised she didn't usually get many phone calls. What an exciting month she was having, a letter and a phone call. She put the receiver to her ear. "Hello?" she said into it.

"Hello, Lily." said a familiar voice.

"Hi Grandma." said Lily excitedly recognizing the sound of her Grandmother's voice. "I love you and I miss you."

"I love you and I miss you too dear." said Grandma. "I am calling to tell you that I got your letter and it is the nicest letter anyone has ever sent me."

"Thanks, Grandma." said Lily happily. She was glad Grandma liked her letter. She was really proud of herself.

Nellie the Night Owl

2013-03-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Nellie Abernathy did not like to go to sleep. She would do everything to avoid bed time. "I need another drink, Mommy." she begged. When Mommy gave her a glass of water, she would sip it really slowly. Then, she would ask for another.

"Go to sleep, Nellie." Mommy would say kissing her on her forehead. She turned off Nellie's light, left the room, and shut the door.

A few minutes later, Nellie's door would swing open and Nelliewould hurry out of the room and down the hall to her parents bedroom. "Daddy, " she would say throwing herself into her father's arms. "I think there is a monster in my room. You better come and check."

Her father would smile and say. "Don't worry I already monsterproofed your room. Come I'll take you back." Sometimes, he would pick her up and carry her. Other times, he would just take her by the hand. He would always gently tuck her back into her bed.

"Can you please sit with me for five minutes?" she would beg making her saddest puppy dog face.

"Okay." Daddy would say. He couldn't resist her sad puppy dog face.

Nellie wouldn't even try to sleep. She would just lie quietly in her bed.

After five minutes, Daddy would get up to leave the room.

Nellie would sit straight up in her bed. "Oh Daddy! Another five minutes. Please!"

"Nellie, it's bed time." Daddy would say kissing her quickly and leaving the room before her sad puppy dog face got to him again.

Still, even when Mommy and Daddy were gone, Nellie wouldn't go to sleep. She would lie in bed thinking and making up stories in her head. She would play with the toys on her bed. She would try to read her books in the dark.

Every once in a while, Mommy or Daddy would come in to check on her. "Nellie go to sleep." they would say when they found her still awake.

One day, Nellie was watching TV. She saw a commercial for a movie she wanted to see. "Oh! The Cutie Pies! I really want to see that movie!"she said excitedly.

"It's on tomorrow morning!" said Mommy.

"I can't wait!" said Nellie excitedly.

That night, Nellie didn't sleep any more than she usually did. The next morning when she woke up, she sat down eagerly in front of the TV. "When is my movie on, mommy?" she asked.

"I'm sorry honey." Mommy said sadly. "The movie was on at 8:00 am. Now, it's 10:00 am. It's already over."

"But mommy why didn't you wake me?

"I tried waking you, but you wouldn't get up. I'm sure you were tired because you didn't get enough sleep last night.

"Oh." said Nellie. She was disappointed. She had really wanted to see that movie.

Daddy came in the room and gave Nellie a kiss. "Hey baby!" he said. "Why do you look so sad?" Nellie told him about missing the movie. "I'm sorry." he said.

"What are you doing?" Nellie asked.

"I'm getting ready to go fishing tomorrow." Daddy explained as he headed into the garage to get together his fishing gear.

"Can I go?" asked Nellie following him. "You've been promising me you would take me fishing."

"Sure." said Daddy, "I guess now is as good a time as any as long as your Mom says it okay."

Mommy agreed, and Nellie was really excited. She couldn't wait to go fishing. She forgot all about the movie.

That night Mommy and Daddy tried to put Nellie to bed early. Nellie wasn't having any of that. She stalled as long as she could. Then, she played with her toys and read her books and did all the things she usually did. She went to sleep as late as ever.

The next morning, Daddy went in and tried to wake her for the fishing trip. "Nellie." he said "Nellie, baby. It's time to wake up." Nellie didn't budge. Her father gently shook her. Nellie turned over in her bed and buried her face in her pillow.

A few hours later, she woke up and got dressed. "I'm ready to go!" she called excitedly going downstairs and looking for her dad. Mommy was all alone in the kitchen sitting at the counter drinking tea. "Where is Daddy?" asked Nellie.

"He went fishing." said Mommy.

"But he was going to take me!" whined Nellie.

"You didn't want to get up." explained Mommy.

Nellie sat down at the kitchen table and put her chin in her hand. She had really wanted to go fishing. She was tired of missing out on everything good.

Mommy finished her drink. "I'm sorry, sweetie." she said to Nellie.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Mommy started to leave the room.

"I'm going to call Grandma. We are going into the city tomorrow to do some shopping, and I need to make arrangments."

"Can I come shopping?" asked Nellie.

"Sure." replied Mommy. "You can use some new clothes. A lot of the ones you have now are getting too small on you."

Nellie clapped her hands with excitement. She loved getting new clothes.

"But we are leaving early in the morning." warned Mommy.

"I'll be ready." Nellie promised.

That night, Nellie went right to bed. She didn't even ask for one glass of water let alone two. She didn't lie in bed thinking or making up stories. She didn't play with her toys. She didn't try to read her books in the dark. She went right to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up bright and early. She didn't even wait for Mommy to come in her room and wake her. She got dressed and went looking for Mommy.

"I'm ready Mommy." she said.

Mommy was all dressed and ready too, but she was surprised to see Nellie. "Nellie," she said. "I wasn't really expecting to see you. I didn't think you'd get up."

"I went to bed right right away last night. Mommy, and I wasn't tired in the morning not at all like I usually am." Nellie told her "And, I got right up this morning."

"See." said Mommy. "That's what happens when you get enough sleep. I'm proud of you, Nellie." replied Mommy.

"Thanks, mommy." said Nellie.

"Now let's go shopping." said Mommy.

"Let's go shopping." echoed Nellie happily.

Miranda Makes Up Her Mind

2013-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Miranda Quinn could never make up her mind. She woke up in the morning and stared into her closet. Maybe she would wear her black jeans or maybe she would wear her blue ones. Maybe, she would wear her striped shirt and maybe she would wear her polka-dot one. Maybe, she would wear her sneakers maybe she would wear her flats. Maybe, she would wear her hair up; maybe she would wear it down.

By the time, she finished getting dressed and went downstairs, it was almost time to leave for school. "Sit down quickly. It's late. " her mother told her. "What would you like for breakfast?" she added as Miranda slid into a seat.

Miranda chewed on her lip and thought. Maybe, she would have a bagel or maybe a muffin. Maybe, she would have orange juice or maybe milk.

"Miranda!" shouted her mother finally cutting into Miranda's thoughts. "It's too late. You don't have time for anything. You'll be late for school." She quickly ushered Miranda into a coat before Miranda had a chance to think about which one to wear. She didn't want Miranda to miss the bus.

At school, Miranda didn't get to do her art project because she couldn't decide which color crayon to start with red or blue. She didn't get to eat lunch because she couldn't decide if she wanted a sandwich or a bagel. She didn't play at recess because she couldn't decide if she wanted to go on the slide or the swings first.

When she came home, she was starving. She was grateful that her mom had put out a snack for her and she didn't have to think about it. After snack, she couldn't decide whether to do her reading or her math homework. She just sat there staring into space until her mother said "Miranda! Do your homework! It's getting late already. It will be dinner soon." Miranda looked at her mother helplessly until her mother opened Miranda's pink flowered backpack and took out Miranda's math homework and put it in front of her. "Here do this!" she said.

They somehow managed to get through the rest of the day with her mother helping Miranda to make choices. That night as she was putting Miranda to bed, her mother said. "Miranda, my sweet, this has to stop. You need to learn to make choices without worrying about them so much."

Miranda eye's filled with tears. "But mommy." she said. "Every time, I pick something I am not picking something else. What if I make the wrong choice?"

Miranda's mother smoothed the hair back off Miranda's face and said softly. "Sometimes, there are no wrong choices. If you don't wear your blue jeans today you'll wear them tomorrow. If you don't have a bagel today you'll have one tomorrow. Do your math first or your reading first, you'll still get them both done if you start doing them. Stop worrying so much about life's little choices so you have more time to worry about the big ones."

"I'll try, mommy." Miranda promised. Her mother kissed her and turned out the light.

The next morning, Miranda went into her closet and grabbed the first shirt and pair of pants she found. She saw her sneakers under her bed so she put them on. When she went to brush her hair she found a pretty purple clip on the counter so she put it in her hair.

She went downstairs and sat down at the table. Her mother had laid out a bagel for her breakfast. "Would you prefer a muffin?" her mother asked.'

Miranda stared at the bagel for a minute without saying a word. Her mother started to say something thinking Miranda was not going to be able to make a choice again. She didn't want Miranda to miss breakfast again. However, as soon as her mother opened her mouth, Miranda quickly said "I don't want a bagel or a muffin. What I'd really like is a Pop Tart."

"Sure. Coming right up." said her mother proudly smiling at her daughter. "Would you like a strawberry Pop Tart or a chocolate fudge one?"

Miranda frowned and bit her lip. She loved them both and hadn't had either in a while. "You choose for me, mommy." she begged finally. Sometimes, it was just easier to let someone else choose.