My hero.

When I look back on my childhood, one of the most special gifts that my parents could ever give me was knowing that, no matter what my age, the bedroom space that they created for me was just that. It was created for me. Over the years our bedrooms reflected the very personalities that slept inside them.

As I became a teenager, my mother helped me with my most favourite bedroom. It was a tiny room, downstairs, away from all the others. And in those days, I was crazy about Peanuts. Such great personalities leaping off the pages and Snoopy and Woodstock were my absolute faves. So my mom found a picture of Snoopy and Woodstock sitting in a nest up in a tree. She enlarged it, traced it on my wall, and then hand painted the mural. (All these years later and, sadly, I'm not even sure there is a picture of it anywhere.....) I lived in my Snoopy room for many years and, even now, I still have one small Snoopy beanie animal living in Juliana's room.

Flash forward many, many years.

Today we spent the day at Wonderland. The kids park is now all Snoopy themed - there's a red baron airplane ride, a pumpkin patch ride, a statue of Snoopy himself and tons of Snoopy themed merchandise in the stores. I managed to avoid the stores (although the cartoon covered hoodie was calling my name....LOUDLY....) and didn't buy a thing. I didn't have to. Because walking around in the general population was Snoopy himself. He must have been hot in that afternoon sun but he was out pleasing his people.

I'm almost a little embarrassed at how quickly I squealed and said to Peter "here take the camera....I have to get a picture of me with him!" I know that he was just some guy in a dog suit. I know that it's his job not to speak. I know that we're in the kiddie park at Wonderland and I am well past the kiddie age. But I can't explain how excited I was for the moment. It was like he was a celebrity...... I worked very hard to keep calm, but, damn it, I was giddy. Transported back to many, many years ago in my little blue room with Snoopy on the wall.

Thank you Snoopy - for making a girl's day.