The Training of a Witch

I feel like there are certain areas in which I find myself forever in a state of apology and promise to be better, and this blog is no exception.  It's amazing just how much time can lapse between when you mean to do something and when that something is actually accomplished!  Oh well, someday I'll be a consistent soul, but for now I'll just tell you a funny story to get myself back up into the saddle and try to work my way back from there.

A few weeks ago we brought a favorite children's book home from the library- Heggedy Peg by Audrey & Don Wood.  I don't think we'd ever read it to Reese, but what with her recent witch admiration, I was sure it would be a hit- and it was.  Personally, I like to think my "Derr voice" was the clincher (demonstrations are available ONLY upon very sincere request.  Those outside the circle of Witchy Derr Women seldom appreciate the skill- I seem to recall a mission companion commenting that she's never actually heard a troll voice, but was fairly certain I was doing a perfect imitation).  When I'd finished the story Reese's eyes were glued to the page where the foul Heggedy Peg had disappeared, leaving only her gnarled cane floating in the river.  After a long pause, she declared,

"Whoa- that was a scary one!"

"But did you like it?"  I asked.

She looked at me and nodded emphatically, "Yes!"

That was the beginning of a week of witch stories, which thrilled me to pieces.  Fall is my absolute favorite and reading about witches, flying brooms and pumpkins helped ease the summer weariness.

As a result, our kitchen broom graduated from it's banished place in the hall closet to an almost permanent fixture in the front room and I've literally had to pry the thing out of her hands for meals and sleeping.  I noticed it cast aside this morning as she came to me with her little brow in a furrow and said,

"Mommy, I think we need to go to the store to find a new broom."

I figured I knew where she was headed with this.  "We do, huh?  A more witchy-looking one?"  Green plastic wasn't in the books.

"Yeah.  We need a new one."  She sighed heavily.  "This one doesn't fly."

In that last word her utter disappointment was plain.  She'd done her best, helped all she could, but despite all effort, the non-magical, un-witchified broom was beyond fixing; she needed the real thing.

So now, if you'll excuse me, we're headed out to start the search.