Bacca Is a Superhero

Today Katie informed me that Bacca is a superhero.  In case you're not a regular reader of my blog, Bacca is a doll who my six-year-old only child, Katie, pretends is her little sister.  Bacca is four years old.  She was born on August 1, in China (it says so on her tag).  She's in first grade even though she's only four because Katie performed her big sisterly duties so well Bacca can already read, so they let her come to school with Katie.  (To get around school rules of no dolls in class, there are two Baccas: Real Bacca and Imaginary Bacca.  Imaginary Bacca hides inside the small pocket of Katie's backpack and Katie carries her to school because Bacca gets too tired walking herself.  Bacca's smart, but she only has four-year-old legs.

But apparently those wimpy legs don't affect Bacca's ability to be a superhero.  Katie was holding Bacca up in the air like a toy plane, making wwwssshhhhhhhhh noises.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Bacca is flying.  Bacca is a superhero!"  Katie explained.

"She is?  I didn't know that.  All this time and I had no idea," I played along, smoothing the sheets on her bed so I could add the blanket I found at the bottom of her closet.  I'm so backed up on my laundry my kid has to sleep with two of her old baby blankets until I get around to washing a big blanket.

"Yes, see, this is Bacca's cape."  Katie flew Bacca back a bit so I could get a better view.

"The veil to your play bridal gown?" I asked.

"Yes!  It's Bacca's cape now!" Katie exclaimed.

"Cool.  What are her special powers?"  

I thought this question might stump her or at least take her a few seconds to come up with an answer, but Katie blurted out, "Bacca's special power is turning toys alive."  Katie wanded her free hand across her room, deliberately, as if it were full of magic.  Bacca remained slumped over Katie's other palm as if she were simply exhausted after all that work rescuing unliving toys throughout planet.

Katie continued, "That's how Bacca turns herself alive.  She uses her special powers."

The story of Bacca has been evolving ever since Katie learned how to talk.  Bacca's life is like a six-year-old's soap opera.  Her experiences and her emotions mirror Katie's.  The acting is about the same of that I've seen in most soap operas, overly dramatic, cheesy, and easier to listen to and giggle at from the other room than flat out watch for any length of time.

While I was tidying the living room, moving this pile of crap over to that pile of crap, I found what's treasure to a writing mother's heart: a book written and illustrated by Katie Carleton:

Cover: The Story of My Sister by Katie Carleton

The story began in China where she was born.

One day she ran away to see the Indians.

So she can speak Indian.

To be continued.  

Evidently Katie takes after me in my inability to stay focused on a story.  I'm going to keep it on her art table and see if she picks it back up sometime and finishes the story.  Until then, it's stored inside her head if I ever want to hear the story one more time.