Alexis Gets Frosted by Coco Simon

Granddad?” I said.
    â€œUh-oh!” He laughed. “What am I in for now?”
    But I explained my project and what we needed, and he was thrilled to help. He had run a big construction company for many years, so building was his thing. I don’t know why I didn’t think of enlisting him earlier.
    My granny scurried upstairs to get some paper, a pen, and a measuring tape and ruler. Meanwhile, my mom gave me a tour through the miniature house.
    â€œOh! I’d forgotten all about this! Look! Look at the tiny little plate of brownies, here in the kitchen! Gosh, we spent hours on this, my mom and I. And look at this! It’s a real photo of me that my mom put in this itty-bitty frame. Wow. This really takes me back. I feel like I’m a kid again!”
    I looked at my mom, smiling, her hair slipping out if its ponytail. She had a little smudge of dust on her chin, and her eyes were shining. For a second, I could picture her as a kid. I smiled at her. We would have been really good friends if we were the same age. I just know it.
    â€œHey, you need a plate of cupcakes for that kitchen!” I said, and we laughed.

    My granddad helped me with the measurements, and it took about an hour. He gave me all kinds of instructions, which I wrote down, for Matt on how to input things into the CAD program. (Actually, he offered to do it himself, because he has CAD too, but I wasn’t about to pass up an offer from Matt!)
    Along the way, my mom and my granny got bored and went upstairs for coffee. I asked them to pull together a few photos I could have for my time capsule, plus anything that showed how my mom used to dress, just out of curiosity.
    When we’d finished with the measurements, I threw my arms around my granddad and thanked him. He had really saved the day.
    â€œOh, I remember all about school projects,” he said, laughing and shaking his head. He winked at me. “Seems like they were always more work for the parents than anyone. Am I right?”
    I laughed. “Usually, yes!”
    â€œNow, if your friends have any trouble along the way with this, you’ll call me up, okay? I can come and help you.”
    â€œThanks. That’s really nice of you.”
    We went upstairs to find my mom and my granny.
    â€œHoney, anytime you want that dollhouse over at your place, I’d be happy to drive it in my pickup,” said my granddad.
    â€œThanks! It’s true. It wouldn’t fit in our car,” said my mom thoughtfully.
    â€œBring it home, Mom!” I cried. “I love it!”
    She laughed. “I guess I should have tried again after that first time, with you and dollhouses. Maybe you were just too young and I was too eager to wait until you were the right age for it.”
    I shrugged. “Anyway, it is really cool. And you should have it nearby. Maybe you’ll work on it again!”
    â€œI’ll talk to Dad about it. See if we can find a spot. Anyway, look at these horrible photos Granny found for you.”
    I sifted through the clutch of photos, laughing at the outfits my mom had on. The clothes were pretty ugly back in the eighties: plaid wool pants, stretchy leotardlike turtlenecks in rust colors. Ugh. Uncomfortable! Every time I giggled at one, I would hold it up for my mom to see, then she’d groan.
    Then I came to a photo of her in a ballerina outfit—pink tights, pink leotard, ballet slippers, and her hair up in a tight bun.
    â€œHey! Was this for Halloween?” I asked.
    My mom looked at it. “No, that was my ballerina stage.”
    â€œStage?” Granny hooted. “That was a long stage! What was it, six years? Seven?”
    â€œWait, you were a dancer?” I asked my mom. I was shocked. “I mean, I knew you loved ballet, but I thought you loved watching it! I didn’t know you danced ! How come you never mentioned it?”
    FYI, I am a great dancer. Not ballet, but I take modern dance after school a