Giveth, and taketh away

When we arrived last week, we were immediately able to borrow the car of my best friend, who was serendipitously leaving for a quick hop to Toronto just as we were coming in. Because she is amazingly thoughtful and a gift-giver extraordinaire, there was a little magazine and free gift for each of the kids waiting for them in the back seat. Dash's present was a nerf gun with three bullets, which he adores, and sings odes to, and spontaneously wrote her a Valentine/thank-you card for as soon as we got to the house. Mabel's was a Peppa Pig pretend iPhone. She was ecstatic.

"I'm so glad I have a gun, now I can be like a spy," announced Dash as we negotiated our way through Dublin tolls at dawn on zero-to-two hours' sleep.

"I'm so glad I have an iPhone, now I can be like a normal person," said his sister.

(Please note that neither of her parents have iPhones. We are clearly abnormal.)

A minute later she said, puzzled, "My iPhone doesn't seem to work properly."