“I want to be a model,” Sophie announced. “Why do you want to be a model?” She replied with a smile, “Because they’re fashiony. Because they’re pretty. Because their dresses are sparkly and shiny.” “What else?” I asked. “That’s it.”

How is it possible to have two daughters who are so very different in their likes and dislikes, and their interests? Sophie’s predilections scare me. A model? Ugh. When I got home tonight she was having a very philosophical discussion about what she should wear tomorrow (she’s seeing one of her beloved babysitters for the first time in months). “If I wear this and this, my legs will be too hot.” “Oh, but this is so pretty. I really want to wear it.” I’m not sure whose genes she inherited. Between the curls and the fashion sense, she’s a mystery to me. An adorable, entertaining, cuddly mystery.