For nearly a year it was all about Judy. He read her books, he “talked” to her on the phone, and he pointed out all the girls in public who looked like Judy Moody.
Then it was all about a girl at church. I won’t say her name for privacy’s sake, but Jackson talked about her ALL the time around us. He named a stuffed animal after her and, again, sought out girls in public who looked like her. Yet, every time he was around her at church, he fell shy and fidgety. He just stared in sheer delight of being around her. It got weird a few times, particularly when he’d whisper, “I love her hair.”
Now there’s a new fictional girl in town, thanks to me. When I noticed that Ramona and Beezus was airing on TV for the first time last week, I set the DVR to record it. Oh, how I loved Ramona when I was a little girl! Along with the Sweet Valley Twins, Ramona inspired my lifelong affection for reading fiction, so I was more than happy to introduce her to my boys. Though Jeremy was less interested (he currently prefers books about football or animals), Jackson was quickly smitten. How do I know this?
The drawings have already begun:
On Friday we went to the library and he sought out the Beverly Clearly books right away. When I asked him if he likes Ramona, he eagerly said, “Oh yes! She’s my best friend.”
“What about Judy?” I asked.
“Oh, I don’t like Judy anymore. I like Ramona,” he said. “She’s my favorite.”
Though he floats from one girl to another on an apparent whim, at least he’s true to one girl at one time.