{She Texts, Too}

My Little Miss loves the written word. She scribbles notes and reminders and stories and plays throughout the day. I finally requested that she start keeping them in a binder -- I just couldn't handle the paper trail and certainly didn't want to recycle a treasured story or poem.

It's not uncommon to find a note slipped under the door or a plea placed on my desk. Sometimes it's a reminder to herself, "Ask mom if I can have some gum," and sometimes it's a partial note to my mom:

"dear Noni, My buns ar done for my costume. I figurd . . . ."

(We never did find out what she "figurd.")

Frequently it's a tart response to a school assignment, such as this:

(Or this.)

She has recently discovered that texting is another effective means of communication. It's not uncommon for me to be out running errands and receive a buzzing, "Are u on your way home?"

We've had to request that our children sign their names to their texts; it's not always clear who's doing the communicating. She usually remembers (at some point) and her messages go something like this:

"Hi mom! this is Avery. I know a palindrome. Now i won! and, no melon, no lemon."

I kid you not.

One afternoon I was at Trader Joe's, frantically throwing items into the cart in order to make it back to the gym in time to pick up Bethie. I couldn't remember if we had tortilla chips and sent a plea back home for the kids to check the pantry for me. The reply (which arrived a full ten minutes later):

"I dont know. By the way this is Avery. I dont feel very good, because of the fake book from the library. Wish me some good luck so i dont barf."

I burst out laughing in the wine aisle, wished her "some good luck" and suggested that maybe she should look at a different book. Her response (which took some time to compose) reached me as I was checking out:

"Okay. That might be better. Can i wach Pingu? THAT might be better for ME." (My guffaws made it necessary for me to explain the texts to the checker.)

I denied her request, reminding her that it was family movie night. One show would be plenty for the day. She got over her disappointment fairly quickly.

Texting with my Little Miss is particularly fun when I get to send special news while I'm out running errands.

"Avery! I just bought a brown headband for your BUNS!!!"

"AWSOME! Are you going to start my buns today? if you are, i am so exscited! if you dont know who i am i am Avery."

I started her buns that day.

As if I could ever not know my Avery.