The Little Butterfly

What would you want if you could change your body ? Probably being thinner, or taller, or stronger...
Have you asked that question to a child? Probably you get the answer to have wings, or be a mermaid, or have elastic arms...
Kids imagination is so fantastic, what happens that makes us loose such a wishes?
Tell me your story, here is mine...

Little Girl was looking at the red flower. A butterfly flew over and caught the Little Girls eyes.
- "Hello Butterfly, you have beautiful wings", said the Little Girl.
The butterfly flew around the Little Girl. As it flew the Little Girl looked and followed the beautiful butterfly spinning and the dress became a balloon.
- "You can fly, you have a beautiful balloon.", said the butterfly.
The Little Girl floated in the air and with a lot of energy used the arms to push her in the butterfly's direction. As the Little Girl used all her energy, the dress transformed into beautiful wings, and suddenly the Little Girl herself could fly with the butterfly.
- "I can see the lake, the garden, the flowers, the tree tops...", shouted excitedly the Little Girl.
As the Little Girl saw a beautiful garden picture of a flower, made of many flowers, she flew to the edge of the large flower, just like a butterfly looking for the flowers nectar.
Papi came to the garden at that very moment and saw the Little Girl flapping her dress at the garden edge.
- "Hello Little Girl, come, we are going to the garden.", said Papi.
-" I already saw the garden and tasted every flower.", said giggling the Little Girl.

The Wise Owl

How do you teach your kids about freedom ? And freedom of animals ? Do they understand what is being tied ? Do your kids feel restrain ? And when you allow them to do what they want ? Do they impose restraining in animals ? Are they kind to animals ? And kind to other kids ? Tell me your story, here is mine...

The Little Girl was looking at the owl, the owl looked sad. The Little Girl did not like to see sad animals.
"Hello wise owl, are you sad ?", asked the Little Girl.
"Huu, huu!", answered the owl.
"Why are you sad ?", asked the Little Girl.
And the owl stretched its wings.
"You want to fly ?", asked the Little Girl.

"Huu! Huu!", answered the owl.
"Why don't you fly ?", asked the Little Girl.
The owl lift its tied foot.
"Oh, you are tied, you can't fly", said the Little Girl.
"Huu, huu!", said the owl.
The Little Girl untied the owl. The owl opened it's wings and made a strong flap. The owl started flying and made a circle around the Little Girl.
"You are flying", shouted the Little Girl.
"Huu! Huu!", said the owl.
The owl flew two circles around the Little Girl.
"Are you happy ?", asked the Little Girl.
"Huu! Huu, huu!", said the owl.
The owl flew three circle around the Little Girl.
The owl was happy because he was free to fly.

Speed

Do your kids like speed ? Do they like wheel sports ? Do you feel it as transportation or fun ? Are you a bicyclist ? Do you make trips with your children ? Do they convince you to do skateboarding ? What about rollers, do you or your kids have one ? Do they push the bicycles, skateboards, rollers to the limit of their speed ? Do you make them use protective gear ? Is the helmet always present ? Tell me your story, here is mine...

The Little Girl put her right leg on the pavement, pushing with strength the roller. The Little Girl gained speed and held tight to the handlebar. Foot once more on the pavement and another strong push.
The Little Girl enjoyed the speed on her face, she could feel the wind of a not windy day. All the wind the Little Girl could feel was wind made by herself. And the Little Girl wanted to feel more wind, so another string push with the right leg.

The roller was passing by all the trees, each time faster and faster, the trees passed quicker and quicker. Nobody could catch the Little Girl, she was as fast as an airplane, if only she could fly.
The Little Girl held tight to the handlebar and was imagining to visit the clouds. The sound of the wheels on the pavement suddenly stopped, the Little Girl jumped with the roller and for that brief moment she was flying. The sound of the wheels resumed as the Little Girl went to small mound.
Up from the mound the Little Girl could see all of the park. She pushed the roller down the mound with all the speed she could, she pushed, she pushed, her foot on the pavement getting more and more speed. Soon the Little Girl placed both her feet on the roller and enjoyed the speed going downhill.
As the speed increased, the Little Girl stopped listening to the sound of the wheels on the pavement to be replaced by the whoosh of the sound of the air passing her ears. The Little Girl was flying in a magical moment, she could see the trees, and after the Little Girl saw the trees from above flying over them. She flew over the pond and made a low flyby to see the wind generate small waves over the pond as she flew over it.
The birds joined her in the flight. The Little Girl was heading the V shaped flock of birds. The flock headed by the Little Girl looked like an arrow pointing and calling everybody's attention that the park was the place to be for having fun.

Balloons

Ever been in the supermarket and your kids seem to want everything they see ? Do they want expensive stuff ? Do they simply want because you always give them something in the past ? Do they have a favorite thing they always want to bring from the supermarket ? Like cookies, chocolates or balloons ? How do you act with them ? How do you know them to get them the stuff they want or not too ? How do you tell them to not bring those useless extras? Tell me your story, here is mine...

The Little Girl loved balloons. She loved balloons in all colors and shapes. As Papi pushed the shopping cart at the supermarket, the Little Girl placed little packs of balloons in the shopping cart.
Papi got the milk, the Little Girl got a small pack of white balloons and hid them behind the milk.
Papi got strawberries, the Little Girl got a small pack of red balloons and hid them behind the strawberries.
Papi got bananas, the Little Girl got a small pack of yellow balloons and hid them behind the bananas.
Papi got the lettuce, the Little Girl got a small pack of green balloons and hid them behind the lettuce.
The Little Girl also wanted blue balloons, but Papi was not putting anything blue in the shopping cart.
"Papi!" called the Little Girl pointing out, "You want the blue shovel", "No Little Girl, Papi does not need that."
"Papi!" called the Little Girl pointing out, "You want the blue jug", "No Little Girl, Papi does not need that."
"Papi!" called the Little Girl pointing out, "You want the blue basket", "No Little Girl, Papi does not need that."
The Little Girl was getting more and more excited, Papi was not buying anything blue, and she really wanted the blue balloons.
"Papi, Papi, I want the blue shampoo, I want to be pretty for Papi!", and Papi took the shampoo out of the shelf and to the shopping cart. The Little girl got a small pack of blue balloons and hid behind the shampoo.

The Little Girl and Papi went to pay for the groceries, and Papi was surprised with all the balloons. Papi looked at the Little Girl, and the Little Girl smiled back at Papi tilting her head with her hands and one foot behind her. Papi could not help but give a big laugh.
The lady at the cash register liked the Little Girl and asked her "Are you having a party today Little Girl ? So many beautiful balloons, here take this gift, it is a balloon pump."
Papi and the Little Girl went to the car, the Little Girl started pumping her balloons in the car. She was happy, now the car would fly home much faster. The Little Girl did not understand why Papi was complaining about the mirror. She did not want to look pretty now, she just wanted to fly home.

The Yellow Balloon

- Papi!

Happiness. I always get a rush of pure happiness when this simple word is followed by this little being with the big bright eyes.

- Mommy?

- Mommy could not come today.

- Why?

- Mommy had to go to the doctor.

- Why?

- Mommy is ill.

- Why?

- Come, let's change your shoes, we are going home now.

I always wonder when should I stop the why train. The Little Girl always manages to get to places I don't know how to answer.

- Papi?

- Yes?

- Can I go in the yellow balloon?

- Of course!

- Yeah! I am going in the yellow balloon. I am going in the yellow balloon.

Another rush. I have truly been blessed everyday for the last 4 years. I let myself watch the Little Girl as she jumped around, and has she jumped around she wanted to make sure every kid knew that she was going home in the yellow balloon.

We pulled the yellow balloon from the locker, it was still full of air, floating against the locker's ceiling. It was there as if by magic knowing of this one more mission, to take the Little Girl home safely.

I dressed her up with the pink water suit and the green gummy boots. It's raining outside and we will not be able to go to the playground. I didn't have a backup plan, would have to rely on my improvisation for the long hours Mommy would be undergoing the  exams.

On the way out, the Little Girl passed by her friend Bella. They talked very happily in their very unique magical language to which grownups are not invited. I did get the words yellow and balloon, I saw the Little Girl's excitement, and I got a feeling for Bella wanting to come with the Little Girl.

Rain. Still hasn't stopped raining for the last 2 weeks, sunshine would surely be welcomed by us. As we got out I could hear the sound of a little trampoline, almost as high as a musical high pitched drum. It was the sound of raindrops on the yellow balloon. The yellow balloon was the Little Girl’s umbrella.

The yellow balloon looked like a small private sun very bright, making an high contrast with the pink water suit. The yellow balloon was glowing privately for the Little Girl as if responding to her smile. The Little Girl’s smile became wider and the balloon intensified it’s glow.

The yellow balloon seemed to be growing, getting bigger and bigger, the raindrops getting louder and louder drumming on the yellow balloon. Suddenly the yellow balloon was covering the sky above me, and the Little GIrl was holding to the yellow balloon.

The yellow balloon was moving upwards, and the Little Girl as well. I held on to the Little Girl's legs as the yellow balloon pulled the Little Girl into the sky. I got nervous, afraid of the yellow balloon taking my Little Girl. But the Little Girl felt my fear and smiled back at me.

- Papi! We are flying, we are flying.

Somehow, knowing this bigger than life experience seemed usual to the Little GIrl, I relaxed a bit. The Little Girl was feeling my restlessness.

- Papi! We are going home in the yellow balloon.

- We sure are Little Girl. Put your legs tightly around my shoulders.

The Little GIrl was holding tight, I surely felt the Little Girl happy to be going home in the yellow balloon with her father.

- Papi, I don’t want to go to Neverland and the pirates. I want to go with Peter Pan when I am like this.

She showed me her stretched hands with the ten fingers up. Who is holding the balloon ? The Fox in purple superhero costume was holding the balloon in one hand and the Little Girl on the other. Good thing we discovered the Fox, it used to protect the Little Girl from bad dreams and from the darkness. Always good to have it around.

We passed the green gardens on the way home. Our neighbors looking at us and waving, they always exchanged accomplice smiles with the Little GIrl. She knew all of them.

- Hello Little Girl! What a beautiful yellow balloon you have there.

The Little Girl would just smile, giggle and look back.

- Hello Little GIrl! Papa came to pick you up today.

And the Little Girl would smile, laugh and wave back. She stretched her arms, mimicking a pink plane. Looked like the Fox was riding the plane and holding the yellow balloon. The Fox smiled back at me, I could read in it's eyes that it would always be there to protect the Little GIrl.

We saw the cars passing on the street, the other kids with their parents looking from the windows at the Little GIrl. I believe they all wanted to be in the Little GIrl’s place. The Little GIrl was flying home in the yellow balloon.

Bella waved her little arm from the window of the small blue car.

- Little Girl! You are flying in the yellow balloon!

The Little Girl stretched her arms in the direction of Bella, and showed the full ten finger from both hands.

- Yes, I am flying, and when I am like this, I am going to fly with Peter Pan to Neverland and the Pirates.

- Bye bye Little Girl!

We saw Bella move away waving her little arm from the window of the small blue car. The small blue car became smaller as it moved away from us.

We could see the clouds above us, the clouds looked familiar. I could see Rapid the rabbit. I could see Hearty the lion. I could see Uli the owl. I could see Mickey Mouse. And the Little Girl knew all the clouds. She waved at the clouds telling me excited the names of all of them as we flew by.

We passed by the retirement home. The woman with fluffy white hair and round cheeks looked and smiled at the Little Girl. The woman with the silver hair and long nose looked at the Little Girl in disapproval. The lady in blue with the big round glasses clapped her hands as we passed by.

- Papi! Fast, Papi, fast Papi!

The Little Girl didn't want to be too long there. She saw the old bald man in black holding the big stick. He’s nose was reminded us of an eagle. His eyes were red and we could see the lasers coming out. If the lasers pierced the balloon we would be in danger. I moved frantically my legs as if I was swimming away from of the crocodile, and we moved as fast as we could increasing our distance from the old bald man in black.

We could see the stone fountain in front of the house. We were getting closer to safety. But the Little Girl didn't want to go into the house yet. She wanted to talk with all the stones in the fountain. So she approached the stones. It had stopped raining. The sky was clear now, the clouds had changed color from grey to white.

I looked at her, as she gently placed her green gummy books on top of the first stone. She was holding the yellow balloon tight in her hand. She touched the stone with the other hand, and the black stone turned white. She jumped from one stone to the next circling the fountain of the big stones. With each step of the green gummy boots the stones turned to white.

As she jumped around the big stones fountain, the stones made all the fountain look like a circular piano, with the stones in place of the keys in the huge piano keyboard. In my mind I could listen to the tune. She was playing happy birthday as she jumped from stone to stone, as she pressed each big key.