Ellie and the Magic Teapot Into the Secret Forest: November Blog 1- Letters from Mom & Mimi

 

Poppy came to help us move back home and spend time with you (thank goodness we had him here with our extra unexpected time in Denver due to Hurricane Sandy)!

Dear Spaghetti,

We made it back to Pennsylvania Ellie, even with Hurricane Sandy delaying our flight by a day (and we are keeping all those affected by its destruction in our prayers, including our South Jersey family)!  You had a lot of fun with your Poppy who came out to help with the final part of the move (and I feel so lucky that he was here not only to work out the logistics of everything but for his company- you and I both enjoy spending time with him).  You were an angel on the plane (and these past few hectic days with all of the schedule alterations).  You and I were both so excited to see your Daddy who was waiting anxiously for us at the airport.  Since we arrived on Halloween night (amidst trick-or-treating), we improvised on the normal traditions and it turned out to be the perfect way to introduce you to your new house- dinner with Daddy, Mimi, and Poppy while handing out candy!  

Despite feeling completely disorganized (as all of our belongings are sealed up in the moving boxes hopefully on a truck being carted east), we are happy and adjusted (and loving being reunited with your Dad as a family again).  Since we have so many people to catch up with, it will take a while before we can see everyone and create a new normal.  Life is pretty fantastic right now.  We feel so loved and blessed that we found our way back to where we belong- HOME!

And now here is our yearlong bedtime story/stories (with many chapters to write!) for you. 

So as for our weekly guidelines: I write a piece one week in regular font, and then your Mimi will write a piece in italics the next week.  The only things your Mimi and I agreed on were the characters- Ellie and a magic teapot and the setting (a forest with trolls).  Anything else is fair game and will make our adventure a new tale.  We also need to figure out an illustration to go with our part.  Our goal Ellie is to have a beloved bedtime story for you and future generations.  And so we will continue our third piece of fiction. 

This is our last chapter of this story Ellie!  How fitting that we are closing this book and opening a new piece next week (although it was a coincidence, it couldn’t have mirrored our lives any better with our new start back in Pennsylvania)!  We hope you liked reading about the characters in this one as much as your Mimi and I did inventing them.  Trolls may have been hard to write but they allowed us to have such freedom with our imaginations!

Ellie and the Magic Teapot: Into the Secret Forest Part 14

As Ellie pulled the teapot out of her pocket, she handed it to Lion and told him to go and fill it up with water while she set the teacups and their saucers on the table.

“All right El, I will as long as someone points me in the right direction,” Lion purred.

Trudy overhearing Lions statement cackled in a grandmotherly voice, “Go around to the south side of my cave and you will find a well filled with fresh water that you are welcome to use.” 

So Lion did just that, and a few minutes later he came skipping around the corner with the teapot so full its water was sloshing over the sides. “Here you go Ellie,” a slightly wet Lion sang breathlessly.

Ellie giggled and took the teapot from Lion.  Then she carefully poured its contents into each cup while whispering the magical words, “Baooohhhaoooahaljaljljljafooj….” And just like each time before; music, glitter, and rainbows swirled all around lifting them up, up, up.  As they floated further away from the Secret Forest and right before it completely disappeared from their sight Ellie and Lion heard a faint (and very familiar) cackle singing a song off key.  It brought laughter to their bellies and a smile to their faces as Trudy sang her “Giggle, Giggle, Coo” song.  But this time it had a fresh new verse.

“Giggle, giggle, coo,

Chuckle, chuckle, hey,

Thank you for the laughter

And friends you brought today.

I’ve learned a valuable lesson,

Not to take what isn’t mine,

I need to think before I act

And trust that all will be fine.

The secrets in our hearts

And no one needs a key

For if it’s filled with kindness

The cost of friendship is freeeeeeeee.”

As the songs last word trailed off into silence, Ellie and Lion knew that Trudy’s heart was now filled with goodness.  And on that thought Ellie and Lion landed right in the middle of Ellie’s comfy mattress with a soft thump. 

“That was some adventure El,” Lion crooned as he scooted into a sitting position while unconsciously rubbing the fur on his chin with his left paw. 

“Indeed it was,” Ellie responded.  Then she sidled up next to him settling all her weight on her shins.  “But you are looking a bit perplexed Lion.  What is it that you are thinking about?” she questioned. 

Lion answered, “Well… you know how much I love it when your Mom reads us The Secret Forest book every night before bed?  It really is my favorite Ellie because your Mom voices the best expressions of all.  And I think I have it almost memorized because she makes it sound so exciting every time.  It doesn’t matter that the book never changes… I still get excited when the adventurous parts happen and you hold my hand, and when the scary parts come and my heart skips a beat you give me a comforting hug, and when the funny parts take place we giggle and giggle and giggle.”

“I agree with you.  So why the confused look?” Ellie encouraged him on.

“Like I said, I know most of the book by heart.  But now that we took an adventure into the story everything that was familiar to us has changed.  Especially the ending!  What happens now Ellie when your Mom reads us the story tomorrow?” fretted Lion.

“That’s easy.  It will still be the same story we’ve heard each day since Mimi sent the book to my Mom all those months ago.  But Lion, the cool thing about books is that sometimes someone will think up a different ending and will go ahead and write a new version of it.  In our case, since it was you and I that experienced first hand the changed adventure in the Secret Forest, well… I guess it is up to us to try and rewrite a fresh version and a new ending to this story.  How about I get out my zoo tablet and penguin pencil and we get started!  I’ll be the narrator and you can jot down everything I say,” Ellie bossed.

Lion yawned, “Anything you say El.  But right now can we just crawl under the covers and close our eyes for the night?  We’ve had such a busy day that I think I need to sleep now.  Can we be authors tomorrow?”

“Mmmmm… I guess.  I’m pretty tired too,” Ellie answered while dragging Lion up to the head of the bed.  She made sure the pillow was fluffed before they lay down.  Then she reached for the blanket and covered them both.  Within moments they were sound asleep.

Shortly after, Ellie’s Mom came into her room ready to read their favorite bedtime fairytale.  She was surprised to see Ellie and her favorite stuffed animal Lion were already sleeping and quite soundly too.  She also noticed the open book lying on top of the covers and figured Ellie had read it to herself.  Instead of waking her up, Ellie’s Mom bent down to give a gentle kiss on the side of her cheek.  Then she bolted upright with a quizzical look on her face.  While scratching her head she whispered to no one in particular, “Ellie-spaghetti where on earth were you and your furry little friend exploring?  I know we did not have noodles for breakfast, lunch or dinner today, yet you and your Lion each have one stuck to your clothes!  And what’s this?” she questioned silently upon closer examination of Ellie’s stuffed animal friend.  “Your Lion has a tinge of green on his fur… now where could that have come from?” she mumbled as she searched Ellie’s room for something out of the ordinary.  “Spaghetti-girl, I know you did not leave this room while I was on the phone but yet you always seem to find a bit of mischief to get into.  Hmmmm… I guess I will have to ask you when you awake in the morning.  Till then, sweet dreams my precious darling daughter.”  And then Ellie’s Mom turned off the light as she tiptoed out of her bedroom.

Smiling in her sleep Ellie’s mind was already dreaming.  She was conjuring up hers and Lions next adventure….

We love you Ellie!

Love,

Mom & Mimi

Ellie and the Magic Teapot Into the Secret Forest: October Blog 4- Letters from Mom & Mimi

 Dear Ellie Bean,

Well, it’s time.  This is our last weekend as Coloradans!  Your Poppy is coming later today to help us with the transition (and to have some fun too!).  The movers will come on Monday and we have one way tickets to Pennsylvania on Tuesday.  There are so many emotions that I feel Ellie.  I am sad to say good-bye to our wonderful friends that have made Colorado home to us but I am so excited to be with family again back east.  There is nothing like being raised around those that love you the most. I understand that it’s going to be hard on you Ellie in a lot of ways too but I promise that we will skype with your close friends here to stay in touch (but I also know how happy you are going to be living so close to your Mimi and Poppy!).  I am hoping for a very smooth week, despite the stress and anticipation I am really feeling. 

Today I was particularly anxious as you had to come to school with me because your daycare provider was sick and I couldn't take off with only 2 days left (and you were sooooo good- my students loved you).

And then you chopped your own hair tonight (with your scissors from your art box and then asked me to "put the hairs back on so I can do it again") so I tried to minimize the damage by giving you an at home cut (all I can say is that I'm glad you are not attached to your hair and I mean that both literally and figuratively!).

You remind me constantly to not sweat the small stuff!

The light at the end of the tunnel is that we will be back with your Dad again as a family and we will be home in time for Halloween (your Mimi bought you a penguin costume because you told her that was your favorite animal). 

And now here is our yearlong bedtime story/stories (with many chapters to write!) for you. 

So as for our weekly guidelines: I write a piece one week in regular font, and then your Mimi will write a piece in italics the next week.  The only things your Mimi and I agreed on were the characters- Ellie and a magic teapot and the setting (a forest with trolls).  Anything else is fair game and will make our adventure a new tale.  We also need to figure out an illustration to go with our part.  Our goal Ellie is to have a beloved bedtime story for you and future generations.  And so we will continue our third piece of fiction. 

Ellie and the Magic Teapot: Into the Secret Forest Part 13

Ellie and Lion had a look of panic on their faces.  They realized that Trudy was beginning to turn to stone… the more she giggled in the Giggle Grabber, the more stiff and rock-like she became.  Her feet and hands turned grey and rigid first and then cracked lines of rock traveled up her arms and legs as she howled in laughter.  “Lion, those jars in Trudy’s cave that we found contain the troll’s laughter!”  Ellie said frantically revealing what she had discovered. 

“Ohmygosh El, I didn’t realize how important those jars are!  No wonder, those trolls seemed miserable… if their laughter was bottled up and they couldn’t laugh anymore, they probably weren’t very happy! Let’s leave Trudy here and go to the front of the cave so we can open those jars!” Lion smiled enthusiastically.

“No Lion, you don’t understand.  Without Trudy’s help, we don’t know whose laughter belongs to which Troll.  And if we don’t do something soon- we may never know.  We only have one shot when the jars open to get the laugh to its rightful owner,” she said worriedly as she eyed Trudy who had now turned fully into a rock except for her head.

Lion ran to stop the machine and as soon as he did Trudy’s laughter ended abruptly.  “Why didn’t you just finish me off,” Trudy cackled firm as a board.

“Trudy, we don’t believe you are as tough as this rock exterior.  We want you to make right of the wrongs you did and help us to return the laughter to those ogres.  You can’t take something that isn’t yours simply because you aren’t happy,” Ellie said sympathetically.

“If I give back those jars of laughter, then I will be all alone again.  It’s not fair that everyone else is cheerful,” Trudy glared back.

Ellie took a deep breath as she began, “You are alone because you are mean Trudy.  No one wants to be around a cruel-spirited person.  But being mean is a choice and only you can change that.  You can start by being nice and helping those trolls that you hurt.  Lion knows some pretty funny jokes that are sure to make you laugh- without the aid of this machine,” Ellie said as she looked around in wonderment of the Giggle Grabber.  “Gosh Trudy, think about how smart you are to put something like this together.  What if you used your intelligence and talent toward good use?  Think of what you could invent to help the world!”

Trudy started to tear up but she couldn’t wipe her eyes because her hands were rock solid.  Ellie dug into her pocket and withdrew a tissue and pressed gently against Trudy’s cheek.  Ellie expected her to be frigid but instead felt warmth.  As Ellie wiped her eyes, the hard rock exterior started to soften and Ellie realized that instead of turning back into her troll self, Trudy was transforming into a human.

“No one has touched me in a long time,” Trudy said softly.  Lion couldn’t help himself- he felt so sad for Trudy, he ran over and gave her a big bear hug.  “To get love, you have to give love,” he whispered in her ear. 

“How did you get to be a troll in the first place?” Lion asked curiously.  “The meaner I became the greener I turned.  I guess how you feel on the inside really does affect your outside,” Trudy whispered in embarrassed.

Ellie and Lion each took Trudy’s hand in theirs and they walked to the front of the house where all seven trolls were waiting curiously.  Sebastian, Tad, and Oliver were sitting on the table guarding the jars with the swirling mists.

“I’m really sorry.  I wanted everyone to feel as miserable as me and I thought if I took your laughter that I would accomplish my goal.  I hope you can forgive me,” said a very humiliated Trudy who looked an awful lot like Ellie’s great grandmother now that she had turned into a real person.  “There is a troll’s name on the bottom of the jar and that’s whose laughter is inside,” she said regretfully.

Tad, Sebastian, and Oliver went right to work lifting the jars, identifying the owners and carefully handing them over one by one.  “On the count of the three, let’s open them together!” Colonel Muster yelled bossily as he tapped his clipboard.

“Oui!  I happen to like that fantastique idea,” agreed Frenchy.

“I’ll sing the numbers,” Rocky crooned a gleeful melody as they all shouted in unison, “One, Two, Three.”

The jars were opened, the mists swirled and went into the mouths of the trolls.  Within seconds, laughter and giggles abounded.  But then Ellie and Lion noticed something else.  The green skin of the ogres was transforming.  The seven trolls were becoming human too!  They were all young teenagers not much older than Ellie.  Ellie saw Tootsie, the first troll she encountered, transform into a freckled girl popping candy into her mouth gleefully as she was approached by Hotdog, an athletic boy, asking if she wanted to have a contest of who could shove more into their mouth.  Fruity, a short boy seemingly the youngest of the bunch, heard them and joined in and suggested, “Instead of candy, let’s be more nutritious and use fruit!”  And just as their eating contest began, Wrd, a tall lanky boy with mussed up hair, sauntered over and held up his hand.  “My fellow adolescents, this game is very discommodious as you could choke.  How about we compete in a different way, say a rivalry of speed?” 

And as the friends reconnected and played, Tad, Sebastian, Oliver, Ellie, and Lion hugged each other and watched the teenagers contentedly.  It was Lion who realized that Trudy had backed away and was slowly edging toward her cave.

“Trudy?” Lion called out.

“This is a happy moment, one that doesn’t include me,” Trudy said dolefully.

But before Lion could respond, they heard “Hey Trudy, do you want to join our relay team?” Tootsie called out, “We only have three on our team and you look pretty spry for your age.  We want you to join us against the other four!”

Trudy’s eyes lit up, “Me?  But I was so mean to you.  You want to play with me?”

Fruity answered, “Trudy, people can change and people can forgive.  Now come over.  We’re about to start!”

Trudy jogged over and on her way stopped at Ellie and Lion, “Thank you for teaching me a lesson.  I hope you will come back and visit me.  I think I will try to use my energy and create a machine that will help people, maybe I will try to cure cancer.”  Before Ellie and Lion could respond, Trudy skipped over to the teenagers.  Ellie couldn’t get over Trudy’s energy for an old lady.  Ellie figured she must be making up for lost time. 

“Well Lion, I think our journey here has ended.  Are you ready to head back?”  Ellie looked nostalgically at her friend.  Lion nodded as Ellie dug into her pocket one final time to grab the teapot and cups.

“El, wait!  I forgot that I promised Trudy a joke that would make her laugh genuinely,” Lion said to Ellie and then he called over to the group, “Hey Trudy, why does a bike sometimes fall over?”  He paused theatrically and then grinned as he answered, “Because it was two-tired!”  Trudy and the others howled in laughter.  Lion noticed that Trudy’s cheeks became rosy and she blew him a kiss.  “Ok El, now I’m ready!”

We love you Ellie!

Love,

Mom & Mimi

Ellie and the Magic Teapot Into the Secret Forest: October Blog 3- Letters from Mom & Mimi

 Dear Ellie Bean,

This is going to be such a great weekend… your Mimi and your Dad are visiting!  We only have one and a half weeks left here in Colorado so we need to use this weekend to finish packing (and enjoy some family time too).  Your Mimi wanted to come back one last time to say good-bye to my friends that she has gotten to know over the past 6 years and your Dad is just simply missing us and flew out to see how his girls are doing (these five weeks without him have been lonely!).  It’s been really quiet around here since your Gigi and Aunt Joanne left two weeks ago so you are relishing in the company of our new “visitors.”  I’m dreading Sunday when they both return back east (and your Mimi takes Joe, the cat, with her to make it easier on me with the movers- I’m not sure that you will understand that we will get Joe back soon in our new house).  You are definitely meant to grow up with family Bean- you blossom in their company!

And now here is our yearlong bedtime story/stories (with many chapters to write!) for you. 

So as for our weekly guidelines: I write a piece one week in regular font, and then your Mimi will write a piece in italics the next week.  The only things your Mimi and I agreed on were the characters- Ellie and a magic teapot and the setting (a forest with trolls).  Anything else is fair game and will make our adventure a new tale.  We also need to figure out an illustration to go with our part.  Our goal Ellie is to have a beloved bedtime story for you and future generations.  And so we will continue our third piece of fiction. 

Ellie and the Magic Teapot: Into the Secret Forest Part 12

“Come on El, don’t you have anything in your pockets that could help us out of this mess?” Lion questioned in between chuckles.

“Heeee, heee, hee,” Ellie laughed.  “Hold on, I’ll check the pocket on my sleeve,” she answered breathlessly through her many giggles.  With her fingers crossed for luck she reached her right hand over her chest and slid it into the closest and shallowest pocket on her left arm sleeve.  As quickly as she could, Ellie grabbed the first thing her fingers fumbled upon and pulled the object out.  Lion’s eyes lit up when he saw the miniature shiny metal object with the purple handles that Ellie was holding.  “Wooo Hooo, heee, heee, hee,” hollered Ellie.  “Yea for luck!  Scissors!”

“What a relief!  Start cutting the noodles El!  Ha, ha, ha, ha! My tummy hurts from laughing so much and I don’t think I can take much more of the tickling!” pleaded Lion.

“By the shade of green that is starting to replace your orange fur… hee, hee, hee… I fear most of your giggles have found their way into that bottle over there Lion,” she stated as a fine mist gently rolled from Lions mouth to one of the two jars sitting on the makeshift shelf near the Giggle Grabbers entrance.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha… I know El, you are just as green as I am so hurry and start cutting!” begged Lion.

So Ellie reached down and snipped as quickly as she could a few of the noodles tickling their feet and a few of the noodles that tickled their underarms giving them some time to take a few deep breathes and relax their tummy muscles.  By doing so, a good portion of their natural color returned to them.

“What???  NO, NO, NO, NO! “ cackled Trudy when she heard Ellie and Lions laughter come to a halt.  Since her blue eyeglasses were knocked off her nose and her sight was so poor, Trudy knew she had to enter the Giggle Grabber and find out where the malfunction was coming from and fix it fast before all of Ellie’s and Lions laughter seeped out of the jars.  Stepping into the contraption she walked toward the center singing her song. 

“Giggle, giggle coo,

Chuckle, chuckle hey,

Give me all your laughter,

And give it…”

Ellie saw this as the perfect time to try and make their escape.  Lion saw the same opportunity.  So Ellie hissed for Sebastian and Lion croaked for Tad to get their attention.  “Sssssssss Sebastion!  Quick!  Come!”  “Riddit, riddit Tad!  Hurry and hop on over here!” the duo called out in unison.   Ellie then quietly unlatched the seatbelt that held her and her friend securely on the seat swing.

The two animal friends appeared at Ellie and Lion’s side immediately.  With no time to waste Ellie whispered her escape plan to them.   Thank goodness it was not a complicated plan because it only took Trudy a minute or two before she was almost on top of the pair.  Her chubby green ogre hands reached out in front of her.  Putting Ellie’s plan in motion, Lion quickly seized the troll’s hands as he and Ellie jumped off the swing causing Trudy to stumble.  As she tried to catch her balance, Trudy turned around which meant her back was now to the swing.  Ellie took that opportunity and gently pushed her forcing her to sit on the seat.  She then yelled to Sabastion to grab a few of the noodles and quickly tie both of Trudy’s hands to the swings ropes, and then directed Tad to hop onto Trudy’s feet and tie them down as well.  With no time to waste she then hooted for Oliver!  “Whooo, whooo!  Oliver!  As soon as I grab the jars that are holding mine and Lion’s laughter and the four of us are on the outside of the Giggle Grabber, slam the door shut, lock it with the key you are holding and click the starter switch to ON again!  Got it?”

“Whoooo whoooo, Roger that!... I mean Ellie that, El!”  Oliver screeched with excitement.  Twenty seconds later he put the machine back into motion.

Trudy grunted with anger. “You two may think you are ha, ha, ha clever but you two are ho, ho, ho fools!”  As angry as she was, an unfamiliar sound was coming from her very own mouth and no matter how hard she tried, Trudy could not stifle it.   “Now stop hee, hee, hee this machine.  I’ve never been tickled before!  This is all ha, ha, ha very strange to me! Whoooo hoooo, hooo stop this ridiculousness right now! I, heee, heee, hee demand it!  Ho, ho, ho I’ve never giggled ho, ho, ho, before! Ha, ha, ha!”

Ellie and Lion looked at each other, shocked by what they had just heard.  “El, did Trudy just say that she has never laughed in her whole life.  Who doesn’t ever do that?”  Lion asked with a perplexed expression.

“Someone who is unhappy Lion or maybe jealous of others.  That would be my guess.” Ellie answered with a touch of sadness.

“Well we obviously can’t keep her in the Giggle Grabber forever Ellie.  What should we do?” fretted Lion.

Not quite sure at that very moment on what to do, Ellie decided to take a walk around Trudy’s cave while keenly observing every nook and cranny.  In the farthest corner of the cave, her eyes zeroed in on a ledge that jutted outward.  She was surprised to see that it held seven tightly sealed jars each of which seemed to hold a fine white mist that swirled in a perpetual motion.  Ellie let out a gasp, and it wasn’t because she was confused by what she saw.  On the contrary, she just figured out Trudy’s secret.  Wanting to get to the bottom of this quickly, Ellie called out to her friends, “Lion, Oliver, Sebastian, Tad… come here pronto!”  And they did.  Pointing to the far corner Ellie asked the group politely, “Please help me fetch the seven jars from the ledge and take them outside, and put them on the table next to the cave where I put mine and Lions jars earlier.  I think I know what Trudy has been up to.”  Ellie expressed with certainty.

“Tell usssssssssssssss,” hissed Sebastion.

“No.  It is not for me to tell.  I think it is time for Trudy to come forward and supply the answers,” Ellie responded.  “But first I need each of you to do something for me.”  They all bobbed their heads up and down in a ‘yes’ agreement.  “Thank you,” she continued.  “Oliver, I would like you to round up the Trolls we’ve encountered throughout the forest and bring them here.  Tad, when I give you a nod please turn the Giggle Grabber switch to OFF.  Sebastian, when you hear the fans slowing down to a stop, I would like you to untie Trudy from the Giggle Grabber and guide her to the table holding the nine jars.  And Lion, once Trudy tells her story, be ready to open the lid of each jar and release its contents.  As Oliver flew off in search of the seven ogres, the rest of the group heard Trudy trying very hard to sing her song.  

“Once I’ve taken it, ha, ha, ha, ha,

A troll you will be, heee, heee, heee, heee,

The only way to break my spell, ho, ho ho, ho,

Is to tryeeeeeee, heee, heee, heee, ha, ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho, ho…” 

Trudy was laughing hysterically at this point and could no longer finish her song.  Ellie realized if they didn’t end this quickly, Trudy and the seven trolls would be in great danger, so she frantically called out, “Hurry Oliver, hurry!”…

We love you Ellie!

Love,

Mom & Mimi