Erica Wants Everything

Erica Simms had a lot of things. She had dolls. She had stuffed animals. She had games. She had puzzles. She had more toys than anybody could possibly want or need. At least that's what Erica's Mom and Dad thought. Erica, however, didn't think so. She always wanted more. Every time, Erica saw a commercial or looked through a magazine or went to a friend's house and saw a new toy she wanted it. Mommy and Daddy were really tired of it.

"Mommy!" exclaimed Erica excitedly one afternoon pointing to the television. "I want a Barbie's dream house."

"Erica, " replied Mommy. "you already have a Loving Family doll house."

"But mommy!" whined Erica. "The Barbie Dream House has an elevator."

"So you don't want your Loving Family House anymore?" asked Mommy. Erica shook her head. "Okay." said Mommy. She went to the garage and got some big black garbage bags. She put Erica's doll house and all her doll house furniture and people into the bags.

Erica clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh Mommy!" she said. "When do I get my Dream House?"

Mommy looked at Erica, and shook her head. "You said you didn't want your doll house anymore so I took care of it. I didn't say I was getting you a new doll house." Mommy carted the now full garbage bags back out to the garage. Erica just watched her. She was too stunned to say anything.

A few days later, Erica came home from a playdate at a friend's house. "Mommy!" she exclaimed jealously. "Evie has a baby doll that grows a tooth."

"You've got plenty of baby dolls. " replied Mommy calmly. She barely looked up from the magazine she was leafing through.

"I don't have a baby doll that grows a tooth!" pouted Erica. "I hate all my baby dolls! I want a baby doll that grows a tooth too!"

"I see." said Mommy. She closed her magazine and left it on the table. She went to the garage and got a bunch more big black garbage bags. She loaded up all Erica's baby dolls in the garbage bags and carried them out to the garage. Erica's jaw dropped and her big brown eye's opened wide, but she didn't say a word.

After about a week later, Erica's didn't have so many toys anymore. In fact, her room looked kind of empty.  Mommy found her in her room crying in her bed. "What's the matter?" she asked with concern.

"I miss my toys!" cried Erica. "I want my Loving Family House!"

"But it isn't a Barbie Dream House." pointed out Mommy.

"I don't care!" exclaimed Erica. Mommy went to the garage and got Erica's doll house and everything that went with it. She gave it all back to Erica. Erica stopped crying. She smiled and hugged her doll house. "I want my baby dolls!" she said.

"But none of them grow a tooth." Mommy reminded her.

"I don't care they're my babies." said Erica, "and I miss them.

Mommy went to the garage and got all the bags with Erica's baby dolls and brought them in. Erica carefully took the baby dolls out of the bags and hugged and kissed each one.

Before long, Erica had all her toys back, and she was so happy. That night when they were watching TV, she saw a commercial for a new game. "That is so cool!" she said excitedly. "I want that game!" She looked at Mommy. Mommy looked as though she was ready to get up from the couch and start taking away Erica's stuff again so Erica quickly added. "Maybe, some day I'll get that game, but right now I really love all the games I already have." She smiled at Mommy. Mommy smiled back, and they continued watching TV.

Other People's Things

Orleigh Anderson was a girly girly. She loved to dress up. She loved to wear make up even though because of her young age, her mother only let her wear lip gloss and nail polish. Most of all she loved jewelry especially shiny sparkly jewelry. She would sit in front of her mother's dressing table for hours trying on her mother's jewelry. Her favorite piece was a necklace with sparkly colored stones on a thick gold chain. Orleigh couldn't wait to grow up and have beautiful jewelry like that of her own.

One afternoon, Orleigh was playing dress up. She was pretending she was a beautiful princess. She put on her favorite dress up dress. It was pinky and flowery. She put on  her favorite dress up shoes.They were pink too and had big pink bows. She brushed her hair and put a pretty pink ribbon in it. She put on a little lip gloss. Then, she looked in the mirror to admire herself. Something was definitely missing. She stared at herself in the mirror for a while.

"I know." she said finally. "I need some jewelry." She pulled her musical jewelry box off of the shelf and emptied it on to the floor. She searched through every piece of jewelry she owned and then frowned. Not one piece of jewelry she owned looked good enough for a princess.

Then, she thought of Mommy's sparkly stone necklace. That would be perfect! Orleigh knew she was not allowed to use Mommy's jewelry without permission. However, she couldn't stop thinking about how good it would look on her with her dress up clothes. She hurried quietly into Mommy's room. She wasn't going to take the necklace, she was just going to try it on and see how it looked with her outfit. She quietly slid open Mommy's jewelry drawer and pulled out the necklace. The sun shined through the window making the necklace really sparkle. Orleigh slipped the necklace around her neck and looked in the mirror. It was perfect and beautiful just like she knew it would be.

Just then, she heard a voice calling her. It was her mother, "Orleigh! Orleigh!" she said angrily. "Get down here! I have been calling you for ten minutes! It's time for lunch!"  Orleigh didn't want to make her mother even angrier. She forgot all about the necklace and hurried down to lunch.

That night Mommy and Daddy were going out to dinner for their anniversary. Orleigh was going to be staying with a babysitter. Orleigh excitedly watched Mommy get ready. Mommy looked so beautiful in her pretty white dress. She pinned her hair up in a bun with a couple of pins and put make up on. Then, she reached into her jewelry drawer and took out a pair of colorful stone earrings. She reached into her jewelry drawer again and came up empty handed. She frowned. She searched all through the drawer and then frowned again. She looked up at Orleigh. She did not look at all happy. "Orleigh," she said very slowly as if trying to keep herself from getting angry. "Were you playing with my colored stone necklace?"

Orleigh swallowed hard, but didn't say anything. Her mother glared at her. Finally, Orleigh nodded slowly and hung her head down.

"Then, where is it?" asked her mother. She didn't sound so much angry as disappointed. That was almost worse.

Orleigh suddenly remembered that she hadn't taken the necklace off. She reached her hands up to her neck, but the necklace was gone. Orleigh gasped.

"What's wrong?" asked Mommy. Her voice was a mixture of anger and concern.

"I'm sorry, mommy." cried Orleigh throwing herself at her mother's feet and begging for forgiveness.

"Orleigh." said Mommy quietly and calmly as she lifted up Orleigh's chin and forced her to look right in Mommy's eyes. "What do I always tell you about other people's things?"

"Don't touch other people's things without permission." replied Orleigh with a sigh.

"Because?" prompted Mommy.

"Because I wouldn't want anybody touching my things without permission." answered Orleigh. Just then she  spied something sparkly on the floor under Mommy's dressing table. She got down on her hands and knees and reached under the table and pulled out Mommy's necklace. "Mommy!" she said excitedly handing the necklace to her mother.

Mommy took the necklace and slid it around her neck. "This is not over. " she said. "I am happy you found my necklace again, but we are still going to have to discuss a punishment for you for taking it in the first place."

"I know, Mommy." replied Orleigh. Right now, she didn't even care she was just so relieved that the necklace had been found.

Jeannie the Queen of the World

Jeannie Morris was very bossy. She was always telling her little sister, Jessie what to do. "Let's play Barbies." she said.

"I would rather play pet shops." said Jessie.

Jeannie shook her head. "No, we are playing Barbies." she insisted.

"Who died and left you Queen of the World, Jeannie? asked Jessie resentfully.

However, in the end they did what Jeannie wanted like they always did.

Jeannie was bossy with her friends too. She decided what they would do, where they would do it and for how long they would do it. "I'm tired of watching this show." she would say to her best friends, Ruby and Elinor as they sat on the couch after school watching TV together, "Change the channel." And, they did. They knew better than to argue. Even when the tried to give a different opinion than Jeannie's, Jeannie would give them an angry look, and they would instantly back down.

Life went along happily and peacefully. At least Jeannie thought so. Until Ophelia Rayburn moved to town. Jeannie wanted to like Ophelia. She really did. She considered herself a nice friendly girl. She and Ruby and Elinor went over to Ophelia's house at their first opportunity. "Hello." she said warmly. "I'm Jeannie and this is Ruby and Elinor." she added pointing to her friends.

Ophelia seemed nice enough at first. "Hello." she said back equally as warmly. "I'm Ophelia."

"Would you like to come over to my house with us?" asked Jeannie.

"Let's play in my backyard." said Ophelia. She did not say it as if it were a suggestion. Jeannie gave her an angry look that would have instantly melted Ruby or Elinor, but Ophelia didn't even blink. "Come on let's go." Ophelia urged. Ruby and Elinor who were used to taking orders followed immediately. Not wanting to be left out, Jeannie reluctantly followed too.

In the backyard, Jeannie tried to take back control of the situation. "Let's go on the swing set." she said and she did not mean it as a suggestion.

"Let's built a sand castle in my sandbox." said Ophelia. She did not mean it as a suggestion either. Jeannie glared at her. Ophelia starred right back at Jeannie. Ruby and Elinor hesitated for a minute but eventually followed Ophelia. It was her house after all. Jeannie went along too. She did not like to be left out even more than she did not like to not be in control. She was not happy to go along though. She did not like that Ophelia. She did not like her at all.

Finally, it was time for Ophelia to go inside. "Goodbye," she called out as she went into her house. "Thanks for coming. We'll play again tomorrow."

"Goodbye." replied Ruby and Elinor. They didn't seem upset at all. In fact, they seemed to like Ophelia. Jeannie couldn't understand it. She held her tongue and said nothing.

As soon as they had moved away from Ophelia's house, Jeannie could hold her tongue no longer. "I don't like that Ophelia." she said angrily.

"Why?" asked Ruby.

"She seems like a nice girl." added Elinor. They seemed surprised that Jeannie didn't like Ophelia.

"She is just so bossy." replied Jeannie surprised that she even had to tell them. She couldn't believe that they couldn't see it for themselves. "We always have to do what she wants to do."

Ruby and Elinor exchanged looks. Then, they burst out laughing.

Jeannie didn't see what was so funny. "What's with you two?" she asked a little more angry than curious.

Ruby and Elinor instantly stopped laughing. "Oh, Jeannie." Ruby said very seriously. "You are exactly the same way." Elinor bobbed her head up and down in agreement.

"No, I am not!" Jeannie insisted.

"You really are." replied Elinor although she didn't say it with anger. "I mean can you think of one single time ever that we did what Ruby or I wanted to do and not what you wanted to do?"

Jeannie instantly opened her mouth to defend herself. "There was the time --" she said, but she didn't say anything else. She realized she couldn't think of any time ever that they did what Ruby or Elinor wanted to do instead of what she wanted to do. She hung her head sadly. She was not a good friend at all. She was just like that awful Ophelia.

Ruby and Elinor immediately came to her defense. "Don't get us wrong." said Ruby. "We love you and your our friend."

"Yes." added Elinor, "But it would be nice if you weren't always so bossy."

Jeannie instantly felt much better. She had the best friends in the world. She surely didn't deserve them, but from now on she was going to do much better or at least she hoped so. "I'll try." she promised.

The Happy Flower

Zara McKenzie was feeling sad and blue. It was raining outside, and she had nothing to do. She had a fight with her best friend, Jolie Abbott. There was nothing on TV. It was just generally a bad day.

"What's the matter?" asked her mother.

"I just feel sad today." replied Zara with a sigh.

"Why don't you read a book?" suggested her mother.

"I don't feel like it." replied Zara.

"Why don't you play with your toys?"

"I don't feel like it." replied Zara again.

"Why don't you call Jolie?"

Zara glared at her mother. "We are not speaking." she said.

"So, " said her mother. "You are just going to sit there all day and feel sorry for yourself?"

"Maybe," replied Zara.

Her mother shook her head sadly and left the room. Zara resumed staring out the window.

A little while later, Grandma arrived. "How is my beautiful granddaughter?" she asked cheerfully kissing Zara on the cheek.

"Hi Grandma." replied Zara not nearly as cheerfully as she quickly rubbed the traces of Grandma's lipstick off her cheek.

"Well that doesn't sound like a very cheerful hello." said Grandma. "What is the matter?"

"I'm just sad today, Grandma." Zara told her.

"I have just the thing to cheer you up." said Grandma.

"You do?" asked Zara in surprise. She just felt so sad today. She didn't really think there was anything Grandma could do to make her feel better.

"Sure I do. " replied Grandma. She opened her big pocketbook and took out a pink plastic flower pinned to a hairclip. "Here." she said to Zara. "This is my happy flower. Whenever I wear it, I feel better. I don't need it today so you can borrow it."

Zara shook her head. "No thanks, Grandma. I don't think a flower is going to make me feel better." Grandma didn't listen. She proceeded to pin the flower to Zara's hair.

"Now look at yourself you're beautiful." Grandma insisted. Zara didn't want to but Grandma put a mirror in front of her face, and she couldn't help seeing herself in it.

"I  do look pretty." she said. She felt a little better but not much.

By now, it had stopped raining. Zara and Grandma decided to go for a walk. On the way, they walked right past Jolie's house. Jolie was standing on the driveway as they went by. "I like your flower." she called to Zara as she passed.

"Thanks." replied Zara.

Jolie ran up to her. "I don't remember what we were fighting about, but I'm sorry."

Zara smiled. "I don't remember either, and I'm sorry too." she said.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" asked Jolie.

"Yes." replied Zara. "I'll see you tomorrow." She and Grandma continued walking.

Finally, they arrived home. It was just about dinner time. Mommy asked Zara to help Grandma set the table in the dining room. Zara grabbed a handful of silverware from the kitchen drawer. As she went past the big mirror in the hallway, she saw her reflection.The flower was gone from her hair. "Oh no." she said worriedly. "Grandma I lost your happy flower."

Grandma smiled. "Don't worry." she said. "It was just an ordinary flower. There is no such thing as a happy flower. Happiness is not something that just comes to us. Happiness is something that we have to look for."

Zara shook her head at Grandma. "But, then why did you tell me it was a happy flower?"

"If I told you, you had to find your own happiness would you have believed me?"

Zara shook her head again. "No, I wouldn't." she admitted. Just then she spied a bit of pink on the dining room floor. She leaned down and picked it up. It was the flower. "Look, Grandma!" she said excitedly. "I found it! Can I keep it?"

"You do know it isn't really a happy flower and it can't make you happy all by itself?" asked Grandma.

"But it does make happy." replied Zara with a smile. "Not because it is brings me happiness or anything like that. It makes me happy because it reminds me of you because you gave it to me."

Now, it was Grandma's turn to smile. She hugged her granddaughter. "You're a very smart girl."

"I take after you." replied Zara.

Daphne's Doll

Daphne Olsen loved dolls. Her favorite doll was a soft and squishy baby doll named Dahlia. Daphne always called her Baby. From the moment Daphne laid eyes on Dahlia when she got her as a second birthday present from Mommy and Daddy, Dahlia was her Baby and her favorite toy in the world. Baby ate with her. Baby played with her. Baby took baths with her. Baby slept with her. Everywhere that Daphne went, Baby would be there too.

Once when they were sleeping over at Grandma's, Baby accidentally got left behind. Daphne cried and cried. Daddy tried to comfort her. "It's okay." he said sweetly patting her on the back.

"No Daddy!" said Daphne angrily pushing him away.

Mommy tried comforting her. She picked up Daphne in her arms and gently rocked her back and forth. "There, there, sweetie." she said.

Daphne pulled herself out of Mommy's arms. "Don't want Mommy! Want Baby!" she said breaking out into a fresh flood of tears.

Daddy ended up having to go all the way home and get Baby. It took him an hour to go home and come back. The whole time he was gone, Daphne cried. When he came back and handed her Baby, she happily snuggled the doll in her arms. Then and only then would she settle down and go to sleep.

Another time, Baby got lost at the mall. Daphne was sleeping in the stroller, and she woke up when they got to car."Baby! Baby!" she cried anxiously as Mommy tried to buckle her into her car seat. "What?" said Mommy. "Where is Baby?" She looked around the car, but didn't see Baby. She looked around the car again  but still didn't see Baby. By now, Mommy was starting to get worried too. She took Daphne out of the car and strapped her back into her stroller.

"Baby! Baby!" cried Daphne unhappily as they headed back into the mall. Her eyes filled with tears.

In the mall, they started to go back into all the stores they had been to before.They went to five stores before they finally found Baby on the dressing room floor in Macys. She must have fallen out of the stroller while Daphne was sleeping. "Baby! Baby!" said Daphne happily reaching out for her doll. She instantly stopped crying and hugged her doll to her.

The only thing Daphne loved almost, but not quite as much as Baby was her pacifier. When she was about four, Mommy and Daddy finally got her to give up her pacifier. She still always wanted to chew on things though. She would chew on her blanket. She would chew on her hair. Mommy and Daddy were always having to tell Daphne to get things out of her mouth and stop chewing on them.

One of the things that Daphne liked to chew on was Baby's foot. "Don't chew on Baby's foot. It will break." Mommy and Daddy warned her. Daphne couldn't stop chewing on it though and eventually it did break off.

"Baby! Baby!" cried Daphne sadly. She scooped up Baby in her arms and handed her to Daddy. "Daddy fix, baby." she demanded. Daddy looked at her sadly. He didn't think he could fix Baby.

A week went by. It was a long and unhappy week. Daphne cried all the time. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She just cried for her Baby.

Finally at the end of the week, Mommy and Daddy had a surprise for her."Here you go." said Daddy handing something to her.

"Baby!" screamed Daphne excitedly. "My Daddy fix Baby." she said happily smiling at him gratefully. She looked at Baby. Then, she stopped smiling. She looked Baby all over. Something was different.

Mommy and Daddy looked at each other. They held their breath nervously.

"My Daddy got me a new Baby." said Daphne finally. She smiled again. Mommy and Daddy smiled too.

The Storm

It was a cold and rainy night. The sound of the rain splashing against the window woke up  four year old Mailee Rhinehart. She hated the rain. She was afraid of it. Whenever it rained, she was afraid it would turn into a thunderstorm and start thundering and lightening. She tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't. Finally, she got out of bed and quickly scrambled down the hall to her sister, Quinlee's room. Quinlee was six. She wouldn't be afraid.

Quinlee was fast asleep under her big flowered quilt. "Quinlee!" Mailee said shaking her sister. "Quinlee, it's raining!"

Quinlee sleepily opened one eye and glared at her sister. "So!?" said Quinlee. She rolled over and went back to sleep. Mailee climbed up in the bed next to her sister. She sighed contentedly. She felt so much better and safer not being alone anymore. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep too,

A little while later, it started raining harder. Quinlee sat up in bed. Mailee sat up in bed too. They listened to the rain for a few minutes. It was really loud and really scary sounding. "I don't like the rain." whispered Mailee.

"I don't either." replied Quinlee. "Come on." she said. She helped her little sister out of the bed and took her hand. They hurried down the hall to their big sister, Bailee's room. Bailee was eight. She was brave. The rain wouldn't bother her.

They went in Bailee's room. They climbed into bed with her. They snuggled close to her. Bailee opened her eyes for a moment and saw them. She sighed and went back to sleep. Quinlee and Mailee went back to sleep too.

A little while later, it started thundering and lightening. The loud crashes of thunder woke up the all three girls. They sat up in bed. Mailee was really scared. Quinlee was too. They grabbed Bailee's hands. Bailee stared out the window. By now, she was scared too. She didn't mind rain, but she didn't like thunder and lightening.

"Come on." she said quickly scrambling out of the bed. Quinlee and Bailee followed her.

They all hurried down the hall to their parent's room. They climbed up in the bed with their Mom and Dad. Even though Mommy and Daddy had a big bed, it was crowded with Mommy, Daddy, and all three girls in it. Mommy and Daddy kept getting pushed further and further to the edges of their own bed.

The next morning, Mailee woke up first. She looked out the window. It had stopped raining, and it was quiet. She sighed with relief. She looked around her. She saw Quinlee. She saw Bailee. There was no sign of Mommy and Daddy. "Quinlee! Bailee!" she called worriedly. "Mommy and Daddy are gone!"

Bailee kept her eyes closed and buried her face under the pillow. Quinlee sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What are you talking about?" she said. She looked around. She didn't see Mommy or Daddy either. She looked around again. She still didn't see them. "Bailee!" she said shaking her older sister. "They're really not here!"

Bailee sat up and glared at her little sisters. Sometimes, she really wished she were an only child. "Of course, they're here." she said. She looked around, but she didn't see them either.

"They're gone!" said Mailee again. She looked as if she were going to burst into tears any minute. Quinlee took her little sister's hand, but she looked as though she were going to cry too.

"Don't worry." Bailee assured them both, but she was a little worried herself. She helped her sisters out of the bed and took their hands. They tiptoed out of the room and down the hall.

"Look!" said Quinlee pointing in to her room. There was Mommy fast asleep in Quinlee's bed.

"Look!" said Bailee pointing in to her own room. There was Daddy fast asleep in Bailee's bed.

All three girls burst out laughing.

Dorinda Wants A Dog

Dorinda Farley was a very happy girl. She lived in nice big house and had her very own pink and purple decorated room. She had a Mom and Dad who loved her. The way Dorinda, saw it  there was only one thing her life was missing - a dog. For as long as Dorinda could remember, she had asked her mother and father to get her a dog. "Please, Daddy." she begged constantly. "I really want one."

"Dogs are a lot of work, Dorinda." he told her.

"I"ll take care if it. I promise, Mommy." Dorinda would insist.

"I think you're too young for that kind of responsibility." her mother would reply and that would be the end of the discussion. Dorinda would walk away frowning and mumbling to herself that her parents would never think she was old enough.

One day, Dorinda's parents called her into their room. They looked at her with very serious expressions. "We have something to tell you." said her father.

"What is it?" asked Dorinda worriedly.

Her mother smiled at her. "Don't worry." she said, "It's nothing bad."

Dorinda sighed with relief. She still didn't know what it was about though.

"Goldie is going to be staying with us for while because Mr. Andrews has to go out of town unexpectedly. Mr. Andrews was their next door neighbor. Goldie was his dog. She was a golden retriever.

Dorinda's eyes lit up. "Really!" she exclaimed excitedly. If she couldn't really have her own dog, at least she would get to borrow someone else's for a while. She decided to take the best care of Goldie that she could. Then, her parents would have to see that she was old enough and she was responsible enough, and they would have to get her a dog of her own.

From the moment Goldie arrived, Dorinda took care of her as if she were her own. She fed her everyday. She walked her every day in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night. She walked her when the sun was shining and in the pouring rain. She cleaned her messes. She brushed her fur. She gave her a bath. She played with her. Pretty much whenever, she wasn't going to school or doing her homework, she spent every waking moment taking care of Goldie.

Finally, after about a week, Mr. Andrews came back, and it was time for Goldie to go home. He thanked Dorinda's parents for taking care of Goldie.

"It was all Dorinda," her mother explained proudly.

"Well, thank you for taking such good care of my Goldie." Mr. Andrews told Dorinda.

Part of Dorinda was sorry to see Goldie leave, but the other part of her was just exhausted so she went up to her room and lay down on her bed. Her mother and father found her there a little while later. "Dorinda." they said very seriously. "We have something to tell you."

Dorinda sat up in her bed worriedly. "Is it bad?" she asked.

"No, not at all." said her mother.

"We are really proud of the way you took care of Goldie." declared her father.

"We didn't think you could do it. You are really growing up." added her mother.

Dorinda smiled happily at her parents praise.

"We think your finally old enough now." announced her father smiling back at her.

"For what?" asked Dorinda. Did she miss something here?

"For a dog of your own." her mother told her.

"Yes," added her father, "A dog of your own just like you've always wanted. You've certainly proven this week that you can take care of a dog. "

Dorinda didn't say anything. She just stared at her parents and she didn't look nearly as happy as they thought she would.

"What's the matter?" asked her mother. "Aren't you happy that you are finally going to get a dog of your own? Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

Dorinda rolled her eyes, shook her head, and sighed. "I used to want a dog, but I don't anymore. They are much too much work!"