What does Rice look like??

For those of you who haven't heard yet... Rice is Anika's imaginary friend. He had breakfast with us this morning... sharing Anika's chair (and cheerio's) with her. We had quite the conversation about Rice on Sunday, on the drive down to Ted and Jan's house for the Superbowl. I thought some of you might get a kick out of this account....

Anika started the conversation a few days earlier informing me that she wasn't going to marry Grandpa Alan anymore, now she had decided to marry Rice. I mentioned that Rice would have to ask her daddy's permission to marry her....


She came back a few moments later and declared that Rice had asked his daddy, and it was OK, so they could get married. I reminded her that Rice would have to ask HER daddy's permission... thinking this would end the converstaion.

Fast forward to Sunday in the car with the family.... I think we first got on the subject of what Rice looked like. Anika was a little vague, mentioning Rice was a real boy in her pre-school class (must have been last year a Zion when she went to preschool for a few hours a week). She said "I thought he looked good. So in a shy voice I said 'hi.' And Rice was nice and helped me build a castle."

We did get out of her that Rice has black hair. She kept saying "I know what he looks like." And we kept asking her what else... to which she finally said, "you can't see him, he is imaginary." (what do you say to that??)

Of course the subject of her marrying Rice came up again... so she asked Dirk if he would let her marry Rice. Dirk was trying to say "no" without really saying "no"... He said maybe he wouldn't like Rice, that he didn't know Rice or what he looked like, or maybe Rice wasn't "good enough?" Anika even gave Rice a voice for a moment and said "Mr. Dirk, can I marry Anika"... and when Dirk wasn't saying Yes right
away, Anika said "please daddy say Yes."

Needless to say we were all trying to swallow our laughter. I guess at one point Dirk finally said... "maybe... someday." That was good enough for Anika.

When we got to Ted and Jan's house we were sharing a little with Jan about our entertainment for the ride... so Anika started sharing all over again about her friend Rice. Anika said they were asking Dirk if they could get married... Jan asked what he said... Dirk started to comment something that sounded like a "no" ... to which Anika quickly broke in and said "Too late... you said 'someday." So I guess the matter was settled in HER mind!!