Letters to Ellie

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July 20/08
Chapter 69

In the United States They Call it Red

Hi Little Ellie,

On Friday, Mommy and I took you and Roxy shopping. While riding in the car, Mommy and I discussed the stories that I write for you and Roxy. I told her about some of my spelling problems for example, in Canada, we spell colour: C-O-L-O-U-R, and in the United States they spell it: C-O-L-O-R. I went on to say the same thing about favour being spelled: F-A-V-O-U-R in Canada and F-A-V-O-R in the United States. I explained how, sometimes, I can get mixed up.

We had a lot of fun shopping. We went to the food court for lunch. You saw a woman eating a soft ice cream cone so you wanted to try one…and we did. Mmmmm. I bought you a set of Crayola pencils for when we got home. We rode in the kids’ cars and the helicopter, (“Come on in Gwandma.” I gave it my best shot!) while Mommy and Roxy went off to do more shopping.

Afterwards, you and I waited while Mommy and Roxy went to buy a few groceries. We played with the colouring pencils. You made ‘lists,’ (your favourite thing to do) and I drew pictures. “What colour pencil did I give you Ellie?” I asked. You answered with, “I don’t know Gwandma, but in the United States, they call it red!”

You are such a doll and I love my little colour specialist with all my heart,

-Grandma Bea Goode

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January 23/08
Chapter 49

The Not So Scary Wolves

Hi Ellie,

Yesterday, you came to visit at my house. Auntie Sarah was here. You were so excited. You flew to my little sun room, pulled back the sliding door of my closet and proceeded to haul out all of your toys. You wanted to show Auntie Sarah your hammer set. You hammered a plastic peg into a plastic board. The pegs are in the shape of a heart, a diamond, a triangle and a circle. “I wov this toy Auntie Sarah.”

I bought you a new set of glass dishes with butterflies on them. Butterflies are my lucky sign and I loved this little set of dishes. We had such fun filling up the teapot and pouring tea for the ladies.

After tea, you wanted to go downstairs to play. At the foot of my basement stairs there is a door that leads into a cold cellar. It is a little cold in there but there is a warm carpet on the floor. There is an overhead light you can turn on if you want to. But you never want to turn it on. “Can I have a flashlight, Gwandma?”
“Of course you can.” I said. Away you went into the cold cellar, flashlight in hand, closing the door behind you. Auntie Sarah and I waited. Out you came. “Come on in Auntie Sarah.”
“O.K.” said Auntie Sarah.
“Come on in Gwandma!”
“O.K.” I said.
While crammed in the cold cellar, you showed us your light tricks on the ceiling and on the floor. It was really fun. “We’re the three pigs Gwandma.”
“O.K.” I said. “Little pigs, little pigs let me in, let me in, or I swear by the hairs of my......” No time to finish.
“Run, Gwandma!” you yelled. “We have to find a new house!” So we all ran to the bathroom and huddled against the far wall. “The wolf came again, Gwandma!” You said while yanking on my pants.
Sometimes Grandmothers are not as fast on the uptake as little tykes would like them to be. So....“Let me in, let me in.” Said the big bad wolf. “Or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in!”
“Quick!” you yelled. “We have to find a new house.” So you, Auntie Sarah, and I ran back to the cold cellar. We stood for quite some time in the dark with the flashlight on, when suddenly you turned and knocked on the door with your hand. “It’s the wolf,” you said. “He wants to come in! Come on in Wolf!”

You pushed Auntie Sarah out of the way so that there would be enough room for you, Auntie Sarah, the wolf and I. Then there was another knock on the door. Again you opened it. “It is the wolf’s brudder,” you said. “He wants to come in. Come on in Wolf.” So the wolf’s brother came in to join us. You nudged me over a little so that we could make room for you, Auntie Sarah, the wolf, the wolf’s brother and I.

Then we heard another knock. You opened the door, went to the stairs and picked something up with your hands. You returned to the cellar with hands folded, palms facing up, cradling your treasure. “Look,” you said. “It is a teeny, tiny, baby wolf.” You handed the teeny, tiny baby wolf to Auntie Sarah and headed back out to the stairs returning with another teeny, tiny baby wolf. You again passed your treasure over into Auntie Sarah’s hands. Between you, Auntie Sarah, the wolf, the wolf’s brother, the teeny, tiny wolves and the pigs (who were apparently in the cellar the whole time, we just didn’t know it,) it is starting to get a bit crowded in the cold cellar. “See,” you said. “Wolves are not so scary after all!”
“You’re right,” I laughed. “But I’m a big, BAD wolf!”
“But you’re not scary at all!” you laughed.

“Are you a wolf, Ellie?” I asked. “Yes,” you said, “but don’t be scared. I’m really not so scary after all!” And we all laughed as we left the cold cellar to start a different game.

My wish at the end of the day is to have one more day just like this one.

Love ya, Little friend of the wolves,

-Grandma Bea Goode