First comes love ...

Happy Easter!

Miranda's grandmother (Nana) got her a new dress for her birthday. It's a lovely, very fancy, white dress with matching hat and gloves (which Miranda insists upon calling "mittens.") I had already gotten Miranda a nice dress for Easter, so Miranda was torn between wearing her new dress or the one I bought for her, but finally (understandably) she decided on Nana's dress. She consoled me (the loser) by assuring me she would wear "my" dress for her birthday tomorrow.

When we arrived for church this morning before the Easter Egg hunt, a little boy we will call "Sam" opened the door for us as we approached. "Sam" is in Miranda's Sunday School class. She had a crush on him back when she was about two and he was three, when she used to try to kiss him on the cheek in the nursery and he would wave her away. However, time and other boys have since drawn her attention.

Today, however, Sam looked very dapper in a bright blue shirt that set off his blue eyes and blond hair, along with a tie and nice slacks. He only had eyes for Miranda, and as she approached, he said, "Hi, Miranda, you look nice today!"

Miranda stepped close to him and laughed. "We look like we are getting married!"

Sam was evidently charmed by this, and followed her around like a puppy -- until the Easter Egg hunt, when it was every child for him- or herself. Evidently he had repeated Miranda's comment to his mother, because a couple from the church approached me as I was snapping pictures of the Easter Egg hunt and said, "I hear Miranda and Sam are getting married!"

I laughed and said, "Time will tell."

The woman commented, "They did make quite a striking couple back in the Fellowship Hall!" (This is true, and a number of people did take their picture.)

"Ah," I said, "but theirs has been a very rocky relationship so far."

Young love ... of course, Miranda is still a very focused young lady. Much misery was made after Nana and Papoo left this morning, but when Nana made her "safe arrival" call this afternoon and Miranda asked to talk to her, the first thing she said was, "Hi, Nana! Did you find out when the museum will be open?" This is in reference to a Legoland exhibit that is going on at a museum near Nana's house that Nana mentioned at the beginning of her visit ... that girl has a mind like a steel trap ...

... and she has already planned out the agenda for her birthday tomorrow.