The Little Princess

It was nothing new, it had been the same with Debra, but with the extra responsibilities of looking after their first child and Carl's increasing workload; the routine disruption of a new baby took it's toll.

Not that Carl or Malia really minded, but it did mean they had to schedule their night-time duties so they could make the most of their day-time hours and not fall asleep at inappropriate times.  During the week Malia would take care of most of the night feeds and changes so Carl was happy to take over at the week-ends.

And it wasn't just her parents whose sleep Dolly would interrupt.

There were several mornings when Carl or Malia would wake to tend to Dolly and see Debra already up and playing or, especially on school days, having an early breakfast.

Debra never seemed to mind though; she had an active imagination and always seemed to have some adventure to play out on her own or would love having some quality talking time with her parents and new little sister.

-- * --

After the limitations imposed by her pregnancy, Malia was keen to get back to her best physical condition.  During the day while Debra was at school and Dolly quiet in her cot Malia would make use of the old exerciser she had bought from a neighbour.

It wasn't easy getting back into shape but she knew that the better she felt physically the better she would be able to care for the girls.  In addition to being fitter and healthier the exercise was a useful break from the routine housework that would otherwise be the extent of her daily horizons.

Malia also noticed that baby Dolly would smile more and sound happier when she was cuddled or played with after a work-out.  Maybe it was the extra body heat or the smell of perspiration, whatever the reason it was a lovely bonus after a strenuous session on the equipment.

-- * --

A special recorded delivery package addressed to Carl arrived one afternoon and Malia had to wait several hours until her husband returned home from work before she could discover the contents.  Some weeks earlier Carl had said that his boss had told him his contributions at the lab had not gone unnoticed, and he'd been nominated for an award.  This could be news of that award ...

Opening the package, Carl found a covering letter and a large wrapped rectangular object.

Inside the wrapping they found a handsome framed certificate from the foremost association of engineers.  Malia decided that this recognition of his innovative designs for new test equipment and his ability to build them within both budget and time-scale deserved pride-of-place in their home.  So now, almost the first thing visitors to their home see is Carl's' latest certificate.

Not that Carl was the only one getting recognition.  After a successful term at school Debra was invited on a field trip to the local theatre to learn all about the different aspects of producing plays and musicals and they even performed a small scene on the main stage.

The theatre manager was so impressed by the knowledge and interest the class demonstrated that he offered each of them a souvenir of their visit - Debra picked a dressing room mirror, complete with lights and stars!

Naturally the first thing she wanted when the mirror arrived was to have it installed in her bedroom.

What was a lovely animal themed room was to become the birthplace of many fabulous new characters!

All her toys were there to assist her with her make-up and costume and help her get into character and when she was ready they were an eager audience for her impassioned performances.

Something that particularly fascinated Debra was how simple it was to change an actor's appearance to fit their character; how everyday materials could be used to create a specific look.  Materials often found at home or at a local shop.

Wouldn't it be really fun to make-up her friends ... or family ...

She just knew that Dad would love a new look ...

As it turned out, Dad was not in love with his new look - bright yellow was not quite the image he wanted as a respected professional at the lab.

After taking another shower to rinse out his shocking new hair colour, Carl tried to explain to his daughter that there was a time and a place for experimenting with make-up and he would love to teach her all about controlled trials and scientific methodology.

But, as he left for another day at work, he wasn't entirely sure that he had managed to convince her ...