"Jennie and my brother"

E has lots of friends, both real and imaginary. One girl, Jennie, is both. She plays with E at school, and shows up again at our house. When she appears at home or in the car, invisible, she brings a co-conspirator.

“Jennie and my brother are sleeping, Mama. Can you tuck them in?”

“No! Don’t put that there! Jennie and my brother are sitting there!”

“Jennie and my brother don’t like that noise! Can you close the window? They don’t like lawnmowers.”

We're flying up to M's hometown this weekend to celebrate his mother's 60th birthday. When we were talking to E about our upcoming trip, we told her she’d have her own seat on the airplane this time, because she’s such a big girl. “And I have my own chair!” she repeated. “And Jennie and my brother sit with me in it!”

So apparently we’ll be caring for four children on the flight.