A GUEST BLOGGING BY GIULIA

My little granddaughter Giulia (that's Italian for "Julia") is six years old and in first grade. I mailed her a red teddy bear with a big heart for Valentine's day, and last week I got the following letter from her. I reproduce it here with the original spelling and punctuation so you know it's the real thing:

"Dear gramma,
"thank you for the bear. I love it very very much! I apricate it very much. I put it on my bed hug it evey night. I love you and I miss you very much.
"love
"Giulia"

Now I don't know about you or your kids, but I couldn't have written anything like that in first grade, and neither could Giulia's Daddy or his sisters. This is one bright little girl and just as sweet as she is smart.

When she was three, I took her to a movie. I think it was Scooby Doo or something like that. She had seen lots of movies on videotape but her family lives out in the sticks and this was her first visit to a theater. We got our tickets and found our seats and as soon we settled down into them, she turned to me and inquired, "Where's my soda and popcorn?" I said, "Giulia, what makes you think you get soda and popcorn at the movies?" She explained to me very distinctly, as you would to a very dimwitted person, "I saw other people with soda and popcorn, and I ASSUMED I would have some."

As you may guess, Giulia assumed right. Gramma made a beeline to the concession stand, and we both slurped and munched happily all through the movie.