Goldie's Umbrella

It would cost the entire last five dollars of the birthday money from her grandma -- the birthday money that she had spent or bestowed on others slowly and judiciously since last July, but after several days of being able to think of nothing but the green frog umbrella she'd seen on our last shopping trip, it became clear that it would be worth the cost. Maybe worth any cost.

So off we went to the store to get it. There were a few moments of panic when she couldn't find the five dollar bill in her little plastic wallet, and I had to assure her it would be just the same if I paid for it and she gave the five dollars to me when it was found. (And it was later found -- folded into the smallest dollar bill square imaginable and crammed into a tiny zippered pocket in her blue corduroy purse).

The weather, which had been in the 70's, quickly obliged by swapping to a blustery and rainy 40 degrees this morning. I dropped the kids off at school mere feet from the entrance where Goldie spent more time than it would have taken to get out of the rain by simply running into the school, standing by our car opening up her umbrella. She then walked at a snails pace to the school door -- pausing to wave with her umbrella a few times.After school, the first thing I saw was her little green umbrella burst open at the door as out she came -- twirling and spinning it in order to help it achieve its utmost attention attracting abilities.

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Then, during lunch, she kept it open next to her plate on the counter where she fed it small bits of cheese.What a happy little thing a five year old and a green frog umbrella can be.