This morning, despite the drizzle, Iris told me she wanted to go to Cal Anderson Park, known to her as The New Park because it opened last fall. I put on her boots and we headed to the park, where Iris immediately noticed a huge puddle. She did some stomping and dancing in the puddle, and soon fell on her face. She was totally soaked. “Let’s go home and get some dry clothes on,” I said as she gibbered. “We can have some warm almond and some crackers.”

“Have a picnic,” moaned Iris.

“Sounds good,” I said.

“And some warm cocoa. And put on some pinky pants.” The pink pants were in the hamper, it turned out, but the rest of the plan went perfectly. We spread out her pirate quilt, which has cute little pirate kids printed on it, and I heated up some warm milk with almond and some cocoa (Swiss Miss Chocolate Sensation, the only powdered cocoa worth drinking), and got some Ritz crackers. Littlecat, a stuffed cat, joined us. It was a good picnic. Iris remembered that I promised to blow bubbles at the park, so I blew some bubbles inside and dripped bubble soap all over. Don’t tell Laurie.

Sorry for this sentimental installment, but it was pretty cute.