AJ has been thoroughly enjoying the pre-vacation shopping. Yesterday I took him to Target for some of that fantastic Color Wonder paper. For those without children, Crayo1a has come up with these markers that only draw on special paper. It has been the secret to avoiding hyperventilation while on cross country trips in my husband�s Brand New Car� (now a year and a half old). While there, we also bought AJ his very own suitcase. �Look, it has wheels!� He announced proudly to his father when he got home before tearing across the living room with it and slamming it into the dining room table. �I wonder what I should put in it?� After a brief disappearance, AJ and suitcase emerged from his room a few minutes later. �I�m packed!� AJ said. We looked in his suitcase. It contained the essentials for any important trip:

�blankie

�Caterpillar
�Rub-a-tubby, the fish puppet

�Bouncy Ball, a super ball AJ received as a prize while playing video games at the batting cages with his dad

�Fuzzy Pillow, a small pillow made of polar fleece intended for camping trips

� bottle of water

�a Spongebob Squarepants inflatable beach ball (deflated, fortunately)

�The Magic Schoolbus on the Ocean Floor (�Because we�re going to the beach.�)

Yes, as long as AJ doesn�t intend to go anywhere that requires clothes, he should be ready for anything.

This morning we took a trek to the local bookstore for breakfast (coffee for me, hot chocolate and an enormous Rice Krispie treat for AJ. Food pyramid? What�s that?). I picked up a copy of the new Harry Potter book for me (and ultimately AJ) and some workbooks for the car trip for AJ. We were shadowed wherever we went by a small boy in Harry Potter robes who, whenever we�d look at him would press a button on his magic wand so that it lit up and made alarming noises. AJ looked puzzled, but was not overly concerned or interested. He was, however, interested in a big box of black plastic glasses, remnants of last night�s Potter party. He fingered one thoughtfully until one of the bookstore employees offered him a pair. He put them on. He looked like a rather surprised owl. He took them off. �How come there�s not any glass in them?� he asked. �Because they�re just for pretend,� I replied. �See?� And I held out my book with a picture of Harry wearing similar glasses on the cover. �Oh." He put them on again. "Do I look like Harry Potter?� Personally, I think he looks more like Harry Caray. You be the judge.

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