Talk about tired. Claudia and I high-fived in celebration, and then immediately collapsed on the ground. We were completely wiped!
“Now what?” asked Claudia.
I sighed. “As much as I hate to do this, I think it’s time to call in some Windtamer reinforcements.”
Diary, there are several levels of being in trouble in my family.
After Mom and Granddad swooped down to our school to help us, we all flew back up to Granddad’s castle with Flurry in tow. Both he and Mom stood over Claudia and me, giving us double Looks of Disappointment.
It was super intense.
I broke down and told them the entire story of how I had created Flurry and given her to Claudia, all about the ice treats, and how Flurry had wrecked the school. By the time I finished, I was nearly in tears.
“I’m so sorry,” I told them. “I will definitely never use my magic to do something like that again. So please don’t banish me to the South Pole! I want to stay in the family!”
Mom and Granddad dropped their looks and hugged me close.
“Of course we aren’t going to banish you, silly,” said Mom, smoothing my hair. “You’re in this family forever, no matter what.”
“NOW YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MAGIC HAS ITS LIMITS, LINA,” Granddad said. “OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE LEARNED, THAT MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OF ALL.”
Mom squeezed my shoulder. “But you do still have to make things right. You and Claudia will go back to your school and clean everything up. With trash bags and gloves, not magic.”
Claudia and I both saluted. Trash pickup was a thousand times better than the Look of Disappointment.
“But what about Flurry?” I asked. “Is she going back to Claudia’s house?”
Claudia shook her head. “Flurry is so sweet, but I had no idea that a puppy was so hard to take care of. Especially one that’s the size of a golf cart.”
“FLURRY CAN STAY UP HERE WITH ME,” said Granddad. “THERE’S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR HER TO BOUNCE AROUND, AND YOU BOTH CAN COME VISIT HER WHENEVER YOU WANT. BUT I’M PUTTING HER ON A STRICT NO-ICE REGIMEN. FROM NOW ON, IT’S ONLY ANTS IN A FOG.”
He got a double hug from me and Claudia for that!
Today was Claudia’s birthday party. Her house and backyard were full of friends and family. Claudia’s parents had fixed her trampoline and packed it with colorful balloons. There were tables laid out with all sorts of yummy food.
* * *
Claudia’s brother, Jaiden, had even set aside his computer to come out and join in the fun.
When Claudia saw me, she ran to give me a hug. “My parents bought me a pet for my birthday! You have to come meet Cuddles!”
“Wait, they got you a puppy?”
Claudia shook her head. “After Flurry, I think I might wait awhile to get a dog. I decided I need a more chilled-out pet.”
In Claudia’s room was a big glass tank. Inside, a peach-colored gecko flicked out his tongue at me. He was really cute! “Cuddles looks pretty chill to me.”
“And I can still go visit Flurry at your granddad’s place whenever I need some puppy time,” said Claudia. “Speaking of Flurry, how is she doing?”
“Great. She loves ants in a fog. And I think Granddad likes having the company. He plays fetch with her in the morning, and then they take naps together in the afternoon. You should hear them snoring—they sound like a thunderstorm!”
* * *
After cake it was time for presents. I handed Claudia the box that I’d brought with me. “I made it myself,” I told her.
As she started to open it, Claudia paused and gave me a look. “This isn’t a barking ball of fluff that’s going to lick my face, is it?”
I laughed. “It’s not going to lick your face, but there may be some fluffiness involved.”
Claudia opened the box and looked inside. “Oh, Lina, these are perfect. I love them!”
MAKE SOME “SNOW”
First, make sure you have a clean, dry workspace. You may want to cover your surface with paper towels or a plastic tablecloth to protect it. Any spills can be cleaned up with soap and water.
Transfer the ice cubes from the freezer to the blender. Making “snow” works best if you use dry ice cubes that haven’t had the chance to start melting. Have an adult blend the ice into a fine powder using the highest setting on your blender. Don’t overblend, or the snow will turn mushy!
SCULPT YOUR SNOW BEASTS
Working quickly, use a spoon to scoop some “snow” onto a plate. Sculpt the snow using your hands or tools you find around the kitchen, like measuring cups or spatulas. As the snow melts, the liquid water will cause the solid ice to stick together, allowing you to form simple shapes. Try making a snow puppy, a kitten, or even a panda! If you like, you can use googly eyes or fabric or paper shapes to add some features to your wee beastie.
To save your beastie from melting, stick it in the freezer. With enough ice, you can create an entire zoo of snow creatures!
Dear Diary,
Not having any brothers or sisters can get lonely sometimes. But lucky for me, I have a ton of cousins to make up for it! I love all my cousins so much.
But if I had to pick one cousin I wish I could be like when I get older, it would be Wendy. I have always looked up to Wendy. Like everyone in my family, she has magical weather powers.
She used to babysit me when I was little, and we had the best time playing together. The thing I love most about her is that even though she is also a royal princess, she likes being silly and isn’t afraid to get messy.
I never thought someone could be cooler than Wendy. But I was wrong. Because her boyfriend, Sunny, is just as awesome.
Ahem, I mean her fiancé, Sunny.
Diary, I am so excited that Wendy and Sunny are getting married! I hope one day they have adorable babies and then I will get to be the cool older cousin who babysits.
Claudia was up at our castle having a playdate today when Wendy, Sunny, and my Great-Aunt Eastia flew in. In our family, it’s tradition for the bride and groom to deliver wedding invitations by hand just before the big ceremony.
“Claudia, you and Lina are getting so big!” said Wendy, giving us hugs. “What happened to the little girls I used to babysit?”
“At least Gusty is still tiny,” said Sunny as my puppy covered him in slobbery kisses.
My mom offered to take Great-Aunt Eastia’s coat. “Won’t you stay and have tea with us?” she asked.
“I’m afraid we don’t have time,” said Eastia. “We are delivering invitations all over the sky today, and we still have quite a few left.”
“We have been flying all morning,” Wendy whispered to me. “I need a snack or I’m going to evaporate!”
Eastia cleared her throat and scowled. I love my great-aunt, but she is also very strict about manners.
CHRISTINA SOONTORNVAT grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Thai restaurant, reading stories. These days she loves to make up her own, especially if they involve magic. Christina also loves science and worked in a science museum for years before pursuing her dream of being an author. She still enjoys cooking up science experiments at home with her two young daughters. You can learn more about Christina and her books on her website at soontornvat.com.
Copyright © 2020 by Christina Soontornvat
Illustrations by Barbara Szepesi Szucs, copyright © 2020 by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First printi
ng 2020
Cover art by Barbara Szepesi Szucs, © 2020 Scholastic Inc.
Cover design by Yaffa Jaskoll
e-ISBN 978-1-338-63065-7
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