Are Earthgirl and Pluto Boy Space Cadets?

Where did my family get those spacy nicknames?

About 4 years ago, Earthgirl and I went to lunch at Fazoli's. {We will now observe a moment of silence as we mourn the closing of our local Fazoli's.} .....OK, I'm better now. Anyway, with her child's meal she received a little plastic space ship. I thought, and in fact said to my husband, that I'd be tossing it out in a few days. Instead, my husband "flew" it in to visit Earthgirl, complete with 50's-style space movie sound effects. "Pluto Boy to Earthgirl. Come in Earthgirl," he radioed. "This is Earthgirl," she replied, and a conversation began that has not let up yet.

As Pluto Boy chatted with Earthgirl, they discussed his travel route through the planets. He would buy candy bars at Mars, stay at the Jupiter Motel, tell her about weather on Pluto, and in a short time, Earthgirl could name and spell the planets in order.

Pluto Boy sometimes has trouble with his homework (he goes to Pluto School), and his teacher has always a encouraged him to work with Earthgirl. He has gotten her help with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and will probably need some help with his division, too. Last year, their separate Sunday School teachers used the same curriculum, so Pluto Boy and Earthgirl worked on memory verses together. Pluto Boy is in AWANA at his Pluto Church, too. As Pluto Boy soars above our atmosphere, he asks Earthgirl about the geography he sees. Today, Pluto Boy asked Earthgirl how a "pick" works in basketball on earth.

She introduces him to EVERY new toy she receives, and a few of her Earth friends have had a chance to talk with Pluto Boy.

You may wonder if I have any voice in this fun conversation. I'm a bit player; sometimes I am Pluto Mommy, sometimes Earthmommy, occasionally I am Suki, or Scrimshaw, or one of Pluto Boy's buddies from Neptune and Jupiter. I am the artist who has captured Wilson, a Jupiterian friend on paper. (He has a zippy little flying saucer, a striped shirt, and hair that stands on end. Thanks to Mark Kistler's books for teaching me to draw friends from outer space)

I wish I could see, when a toy comes into this house, what it's value is going to be. Some of our most expensive toys have been temporary distractions, while some cheap little giveaways have been most valuable. But it's pretty clear to me that the very most valuable "toy" for one little Earthgirl is her very own Daddy.