Scene: The breakfast table at the Harriet household, this morning

AJ: Mommy, what kind of school do you work at?
Harriet: It's a University
AJ: Why is it a university? Is it from outer space?
Harriet: Sometimes I think so, AJ.

No, it did not rain and I did not have to sulk. It was spectacular today. My husband had a meeting at a college he does some work for, so AJ and I tagged along. We strolled around the empty campus, stopped by their beautiful new public library, and raced across the park to a playground so stunningly full of noisy romping children that AJ�s jaw-drop was audible. AJ tore around with a big grin on his face, saying hi to every kid, swinging on every swing, sliding on every slide. We all went out to lunch, where AJ ate 31 noodles with his hands and followed it up with a hot fudge sundae, the only thing consumed without counting. We walked around Oakbrook looking in vain for a dress for me to wear to a friend's wedding on Saturday and spotted E., one of AJ's classmates on a lower level. But by the time we made it downstairs to say hello, she had disappeared. AJ was tired and crushed and he burst into tears. "I just want to find E. Where is she?" Time to go home. He slept all the way, and woke up thinking it was bedtime. We set him straight and then ran around the yard in our bare feet admiring all the new flowers which seemed to have burst into bloom during our short absence. We filled several window boxes with dirt and planted seeds of arugula, snow peas, and sweet pea flowers, watered them, and laid them out on the balcony outside of AJ's window so he can watch them grow.

AJ sang "Peter and the Wolf" all through his bath, cuddled up for many stories and sang songs with me as I tucked him in. As I was about to leave his room, he stopped me. "Mommy, do you remember what shirt E. was wearing when you saw her? Was it pink? I think it was pink. Just like the flowers. Good night, Mommy."

Spending a day in AJ's head is not a bad thing.

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