Voilà!

Dear Oma and Tante,

Je Suis Prêt!

Just like Jamie Fraser, Je Suis Prêt is big sister Sabrina’s motto. It is French, and it means “I Am Ready.” This is what Sabrina says to Mama all the time, except Sabrina uses the contraction: “I’m Ready!”

I don’t know how to do the contraction in French. Mama says she doesn’t think the French have contractions, and would be irritated if we tried. She says the French have made a cottage industry out of being irritated.

When Sabrina asks for something and Mama says yes, yes, in a minute, in two minutes, in thirty minutes, after I do this big sister always answers, “I’m Ready!” Mama says, “I know you are ready, but I am not ready.” Then Sabrina says, “but I’m READY!”

Then Sabrina asks for the same thing again and Mama says, “big sister Sabrina, what did I just say?” And Sabrina says, “what?”

My favorite word is voilà! Voilà is a French word too. It means “Mama Will Take Care of It.”

When I cry, voilà! I am snuggled. When I am hungry, voilà! Lunch is served. When big sister says I HAVE A POOP-A-LOOP or I make my grunty face, voilà! We have sparkling clean bottoms. Pee in the potty to be flushed? Voilà! Dogs need to be fed? Voilà! Boo got sick? Voilà! Dinner to cook? Voilà! Dirty floor? Stained carpet? Holes in your socks? Voilà! Voilà! Voilà!

Do you have a voilà!? If not, I think you should get one. They are very nice to have.

My favorite voilà! is a little one. Sometimes when I have trouble going to sleep, Mama tucks me into her arms. She puts one hand on the side of my face. I put my hand on her hand. She kisses my forehead, and tells me a story about some little fellows named Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. Then voilà! I am asleep!

Mama was sad yesterday because she was sick. She had a headache all day that got more and more headachy. Then she started to get a mad tummy. Her tummy got madder and madder and she was afraid she would have some sick come out.

Daddy came home so that Mama could go to bed. Mama made the room very dark and very quiet and Daddy said No Girls Allowed upstairs. When the room was dark and quiet then Mama let the black come. She let the black come for two hours. Then she woke up and told Daddy how to make dinner, but she stayed in bed. Daddy brought her plain dinner things in bed and Sabrina and I even got to be in bed with her for a while!

Mama was sad that she was sick again and said she felt like she was being a burden. But I just say, she ain’t heavy, she’s my Mama!

Love,
Little Linnie Lou-Hoo

P.S. Today Mama feels better.