Attached.

Never have I known of a child so attached to her stuffed animals. Sometimes she rolls with a whole entourage, other times just a select few. I haven't discovered what makes her choose certain friends at certain times. At the moment she's asleep with Elmo, Azzie (formerly known as Garfield, but that was not an original enough name, and if you know Alla, you know she creates very unique names for her friends - and unborn brother), and Aubrey (a Barbie-like doll, not sure how comfy she is to snuggle with but we're going on a few nights sleeping with her).

She dresses them up (see above photo) in actual clothes of hers and shoes of her brother's. She puts them in socks to make mermaids of them (all three of tonight's sleeping friends are in mermaid-socks). She wants her picture taken with them. They all have names. There are dozens upon dozens of them and they all get their day in the sun. They all take part in stories from time to time, are princesses or babies or birthday girls or patients. They are all loved.

I love this about you, Alla. I hope you are always this creative, always have more stories to tell than [nap]time to tell them in.

Pictured above is Maurice, whose story I told here.