The Magic of Edward

Magic happened at our house. Edward Tulane came alive, in his Edward form and in another of his identities, Susanna.

I have memories of my mom reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series to me before bed. Laura came alive in my room. I tasted the maple, I watched as Ma and Pa danced, I fell in love with Alonzo, I made my own dresses. I lived the stories.

I have picked several favorites, The Box Car Children, Little House on the Prairie, and the Narnia Series and tried to read them out loud. Perhaps I started too early because I felt that it was more for me than for them. Finally, I found a book that they begged to hear, during lunch, before quiet time, and at bedtime. We whizzed through The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

The mixture of a toy rabbit with beautiful clothes learning to love and the many children (and grownups) who loved the rabbit came alive for my girls like Laura, Mary, and Carrie did for me. When my girls heard that it was possible to make an Edward, they never let it go. Every day for the past two weeks, "Can we make Edward today?"

Well, this day was cold enough that I re-dried the clothing in the dryer so I would be warmed by the touch. The snow was blowing sideways, the roads were slippery enough that the car fishtailed on the way home.
The first way to improve a blustery day is to deny its existance. We made snow castles and sought shade under an umberella to keep the tropical sun from burning our skin.

Finally, with school done and gray windows, I had no more excuses. Today was the day to make Edward. Sunshine stuffed, Little Mother stitched, I sewed. Edward and Susanna emerged. They are loved even more than I hoped. Little Mother is planning to make a larger wardrobe, and Susanna is kept warm, even durring preschool.
Perhaps the children infused their socks with love as they created, perhaps the story is just that magical, but two very real rabbits are now living at our house. Blue Yonder pointed me to simple directions. May you find magic today too.