Last night, Julianna and Homie came up with another story.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Mindy. (This was Homie’s contribution).
Julianna came up with the rest. Mindy and her brother Mack have a cat (Sweetie) and a mouse (Missy, as in Missy Mouse). Their parents have to work very hard and are out of the house most of the time. Mindy and Mack have to fend for themselves.
Fortunately, Mindy has magic hands. She can do anything with her hands, and quickly too. She plants a garden with reddish-pink flowers. She makes dinner (pizza and tomato soup, with cupcakes and chocolate pudding for dessert). She does laundry. She gives baths. The magic hands never get tired.
Julianna insisted on telling me the story of the Magic Hands last night. By then it was 10:30PM, way past her bedtime. Her eyes were wide open, and she moved her arms around vigorously to show me all the things the magic hands could do.
Right now, Julianna can only move her head and her arms (from the elbows down). This was more movement than I’ve seen in a while. I told her I loved the story, but that it was late. I left the room and she was asleep within minutes.
These are the magic hands.
Note that she has different motions for the various tasks
M: What are those hands doing, Julianna?
J: Growing flowers.
M: What else do your hands do?
J: They – make dinner.
M: Good. What else do the magic hands do?
J: Wash clothes like this.
M: Great. What else do the hands do?
J: They take baths like this
Julianna has been a storyteller for quite a while. Her imagination takes us to a world that is bright, fun, startling and lovely (I could use all those words to describe J). In her world, there are no limitations. Trips to the park take just a few seconds (and also include stops for ice cream and lemonade). And Julianna doesn’t need any help in this world: her body is as strong as her spirit.
For the last few months, our friend Christine (featured in the KBS special, “Julianna’s Christmas) has been bringing Julianna’s stories to life. It’s a labor of love, and from the beginning, the goal has been to create a book for Julianna and friends.
The book is nearing completion, but before deciding on a (self) publishing venue, we’d like to get an idea of how many copies we should print (lots of demand=bulk publishing & lower prices). Please see Christine’s website for more information. (A portion of the proceeds will benefit CMTA)

Christine, J and me in the clubhouse. photo credit: Capturing Grace Photography