Special someone

On the hunt for my Netflix, I checked my mail the other day and discovered that not only did “The Imitation Game” arrive, but I had a card from a special little girl.

Riley’s my favorite 5-year-old, hands down. She’s started full-time school now and has smitten her teachers with her smarts already. (I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m pretty sure that’s the case.) She’s also a cutie, so this Hula Girl is the whole package.

Riley also gives me a reason to fight my way through Chinese stores, because I like to send her little stuff that I find here. We’re talking really random stuff, like plastic hamburgers filled with some kind of Play-doh stuff, a map of Hong Kind Disneyland or Kinder Eggs.

For those who are not familiar with Kinder Eggs, they are these German chocolates shaped like an egg and the size of a regular chicken egg. They’re hollow and have little toys inside them. They’re in many, many countries, but not the U.S., mostly, as I understand it, because we’re way too litigious. In other countries, they’re smart enough to watch small children eat the eggs and make sure the kids don’t choke, but in the U.S., we don’t pay attention and let them choke, so then we sue. Therefore, the kind folks at Kinder figure we’re not responsible enough for their eggs. Which is a shame.

Anyway, Riley’s mom is more responsible than most American moms and Riley is good with the eggs. I sent one with a Disney something-or-another inside and got a request for some more. I don’t usually get requests, but was happy for this one as Kinder Eggs are sold on grocery store shelves here; it’s not like I go through a treasure hunt to find them.

And Riley appreciated the eggs! In the mail that day, I got not only my Netflix but also an envelope completely filled with stickers and addressed to me.

Inside was a sweet card with, “Dear Linley, I loved Elsa and the Kinder Eggs, love Riley.”

Not only had Riley scored some Kinder Eggs, but also some Disney (questionable licensing) figurines at a cool toy market I found on the way to the glasses market.

So what a sweet letter by a special kid! It’s going up in my cubicle next to the ones James and Ashley sent me.

She also thought of my prior to my trip to Florida last September and sharpened her art skills in my honor. On my visit, she presented me with a wonderful bag man and moose-ish clothespin figure. I’ve kept them on my nightstand since.