Anna opened her eyes, then remembered what day it was: Christmas Day! She jumped out of bed and dashed into the living room, where she found both her parents sitting in front of the Christmas tree. A sleepy Simon sat in his father's lap, rubbing his eyes.

"Merry Christmas!" Anton and Patty called to their daughter.

"Merry Christmas!" Anna replied. She sat on the floor and began sorting the presents, setting aside the ones with her name on them. She started with the biggest box, ripping the wrappings off to reveal the box of tiny dolls from all over the world!

She looked at her mother to see her beaming and holding the red dress from the store front window.

"He remembered!" Anna cried with delight.

"So he did," said Anton. "What else did he bring?"

Anna opened her other presents, one by one. She found several Dr. Seuss books, a new pair of pajamas with matching booties, a slinky, socks, and a music box with a ballerina who spun around and around when you opened the box. A tune, 'Edelweiss', played as the ballerina spun around.

"That was sent by way of Opa and Oma," said Anton. "There is one more present. I will bring it to you now."

He went to the master bedroom and returned with a wriggly white puppy!

"A puppy? For me?" asked Anna, amazed.

"Yes."

Anna reached for the puppy, and her father placed it into her arms.

"Careful; he is very active!" said Anton. Anna held the squirming white ball of fluff as the puppy licked her face.

"I love him, Daddy!"

Anton smiled. "I thought you might."

Just then, Anna felt the front of her pajama top become soaked. Startled, she dropped the puppy. Both her parents laughed.

"He wet my pajama top!" said Anna.

"It's all right," said Patty. "He hasn't learned that he's supposed to do that outside yet. Come on, we'll find you a clean pajama top."

"It's OK, puppy." Anna patted the puppy's head. "I'm not mad at you."

She went to her bedroom to change pajamas and came back a few minutes later.

"What will you name him?" asked Anton as they all watched the puppy try to chew up wrapping paper.

"Hm." Anna rested her cheek on her fist. "I think I'll call him Marshmallow, since he's white."

"That sounds like a good name," said Patty. "But come, eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Anna spent most of that day playing with Marshmallow. Although there was a nice dinner with a lot of delicious food, she was too excited to eat very much.

On a cold morning a few days after Christmas, Patty told her daughter they were going into town again.

"You need your hair trimmed before school starts back, and I also need to stop by the fabric store across from the plaza. You and your brother are both growing like weeds, and I need to make you some outfits in larger sizes."

Anna put both hands over her hair in alarm.

"Don't let them cut too much off!"

Patty smiled. "Of course I won't. I'll just have them touch it up a little, get rid of the split ends."

They arrived at the beauty salon to see a row of women sitting on padded seats with hair dryers over their heads. At the front of the room was a woman behind a counter with a cash register. Pushing Simon's stroller, Patty led Anna to the front.

"My daughter needs a trim," she told the woman.

"My Mommy wants me to look good when I go back to school," Anna added.

The woman smiled. "I'll bet you want that, too. Have a seat, and someone will be with you shortly."

"Thank you," said Patty. She and Anna sat in the row of chairs across from the women sitting under hair dryers. About five minutes later, a smiling brunette walked up to them.

"Hi, I'm Dorothy. I'll be taking care of you today."

"Go with her, Anna," said Patty.

Dorothy led Anna to a high pink chair with the top part leaning back. She adjusted the chair until it was low enough for Anna to climb into. Then she fastened a white napkin around Anna's neck.

"Don't cut off too much!" said Anna.

"I'll only cut about half an inch off all the way around," said Dorothy. "Is that OK?"

Anna nodded.

Dorothy took out her scissors and began to trim Anna's hair. She talked to he as she did so.

"How old are you, Anna?"

"Six and a half."

"What grade are you in?"

"First."

"Do you like school?"

Anna scrunched up her face. "Most of the time."

"There, now." Dorothy put her scissors down and handed Anna a mirror. "Do you like it?"

"Uh huh!"

Anna rejoined her mother. Patty paid the woman at the register, and then they walked across the street to the fabric store. It was a large room with long, translucent light tubes on the ceiling.

Bolts of fabric lined the walls, and in the middle of the store were tables which held more bolts of cloth.

Patty led Anna along the wall, carefully examining the material. It was solid or print, all different colors and textures. Patty chose material with circus clowns and elephants and another kind with farm animals for Simon.

"Do you like this?" she asked, pulling out a bolt of print fabric with flowers and leaves.

"I like this one better." Anna pointed to a fabric with a design of boys and girls eating ice cream and candy.

"How about a dress from each fabric," Patty suggested.

"OK, Mommy," said Anna.

Patty paid for the patterns and material, and then they started to leave the store. Next to the door, Anna saw a gumball machine.

"Can I have some gum, Mommy?" she asked.

"All right." Patty handed her a penny. She put it into the machine and turned the handle, and a red gumball rolled out. Anna popped it into her mouth as she walked outside with her mother.