Tuesday the twins helped me compose and hide clues for a treasure hunt, which had the gang scampering all over the Cathedral grounds. Their parents arrived just as they were chomping into ice cream sandwiches. 

Wednesday ended with a magic show, performed by John. He has collected a trunk full of tricks over the years, and this was a fresh audience. As part of the patter he started to sneeze, and looked around for a handkerchief. Then he told the crowd there was one floating in the air, if he could just catch it. Magically he pulled a red one out of his fist, just like that. The kids gasped, After he snorted into the hankie he expressed a need to dispose of it, and tucked it back into his fist. He blew on it and opened an empty hand. Another gasp. 

Although I do know how he does it, there are a bunch of tricks I have never figured out. Like the one where a guest makes a mark on a dollar bill and later in the show it ends up inside an orange. 

For four year olds magic is everywhere. Grandma appears on a screen, money comes out of the wall. Cold food gets warm after a few seconds inside a black box, and there are always chocolate rasins in the jar at Aunt Marie's. 

I believe in magic too. A few weeks ago I was plagued by the repetitive criticism of someone I love. Then I wrote down things I appreciate about that person, and poof, the diatribe disappeared. I plunked marriage group on the calendar and when we sit down in our living room with three other couples a week's worth of annoyances vanish into thin air. I can even make my cold feelings warm up in less time than it takes to microwave an enchilada. It's the fabulous five: