I love him - a ten year old's perspective.

When I saw my niece Heidi last, she asked if I could make her a koala. I like to say yes if possible, so I did and thought I'd just figure it out later.

Today is her tenth birthday and I finished this fellow and popped him in the post during the week. He started out as a series of nondescript grey shapes, then a series of grey balls. As I assembled him, attached his eyes, ears and nose, he gained a personality. I felt vaguely worried as I sealed him in the darkness of the post bag and then put him in the letterbox!

Introducing Mr Chub, the koala
© 2014 divacultura

She texted me last night to say hello and let me know that she had learnt how to do a fishtail braid on hair. And that she was watching the Smurfs and that it was her birthday tomorrow. Today she gave the Smurfs five stars.

When we first spoke this morning, she was yet to receive my parcel. I asked her about how her day was going. She told me about her gifts, including a saddle blanket. I asked her to tell me about it and she told me it was red and navy blue with her name and her logo on it, as though it was perfectly normal for a ten year old girl to have a logo. I haven't even sorted out the logo for my business yet! I asked her what my logo should say and she replied without hesitation "Tanya's Knitting Service". 

The child is Nostradamus. About half and hour later Heidi called me again to tell me she had received her parcel. She expressed her feelings: "I love him!" 

This was such a relief. Clearly I will have risen in the Favourite Aunty Stakes. I'm still scarred from when my nephew pointed at my sister-in-law identifying her as his favourite aunty.

"Do you think it's a he?" I asked her.

"Yes, I do," she replied solemnly.

"I like his nose." 

"He's eaten a lot of eucalyptus leaves!" she laughed.

"Why do you say that?"

"He's so fat!"

"Well I had to make sure he didn't starve to death on the way up to live with you Heidi. Is he okay? Is he still alive?"

"Yes. His eyes are as big as Sofia's." Sofia is Heidi's younger sister.

"I know! He's definitely an Edlington."

She laughed and I asked if she had a name for him yet. She hadn't yet and promised to send me a message when she had come up with his name.

A few hours later, I was informed that his name is "Chub". He'd better not lose weight now that he's survived the epic journey.

I'm off to work out how to make a kangaroo for her sister.