I was feeling quite nostalgic tonight as I began reading Alice In Wonderland to Finley for the first time. The book itself was given to me by my own mother when I was very small and some of my earliest memories were of her reading it to me at bedtime. I have been waiting years to share it with my daughter and I was brimming with sentimentality and expectation.

Since my old hardback copy of the classic has few pictures, I was doing my best to incorporate drama into my reading. I continually watched Fin's face from the corner of my eye for signs of captivation.

At a particularly thrilling moment I interjected with a gasp! and turned to look at her with exaggerated anticipation. To my delight, the look on her face was one of shock!

"Mom--!"

I couldn't wait to hear what she had to say about Alice and the bottle marked 'Drink Me.'

"Yes, Fin?? What do you think is going to happen next??"

"Um... Mom. You just spit on my arm when you were reading. It was pretty gross."

Aaaaand... scene.