For those of you missing the reference, Walnut Grove is the small town in Minnesota where Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up in the late 1800's. You know, that little house on the prairie next to Plum Creek...Laura and Carrie would run off to the school house where Ms. Beadle would be waiting, along with that pesky brat Nellie and her brother. My favorite was Mrs. Olsen - don't we all know someone like Mrs. Olsen?

"Paw....Paw?"

Oh, those were the days...horse drawn carriages, country doctors and sleep bonnets. Or just bonnets in general.

Which leads me to the reason for all the Laura Ingalls nostalgia.



Yes friends, Abby now has a bonnet. You need the back story on this, lest you think I force such things on my offspring.

From the moment she laid eyes on a young Melissa Gilbert sporting her nifty head accent (courtesy of my girlfriend who has a season of 'Little House' that she shows to the kids on occasion), Abby has begged me for a bonnet. BEGGED, I tell you. I guess there could be worse things for her to be begging for. I remember once we were in the gift shop at the Stones River Battlefield - they had a few bonnets along with other Civil War items and memorabilia. I was afraid that we would have to tranquilize the child in order to remove the bonnet and get her out of the store. I have to admit though, she looked darn cute in the thing.

Then, there were those random times in the car where she will bust out with the bonnet plea.

"Mom...remember those bonnets?"

"Uh...yeah"

"Oh man....I would just love to have one of those"

So I knew that someday, I would have to acquiesce.

And friends, that day has come.


She's already asked me if she can wear it to school.

I'm afraid I may never see the top of her head again.