Emma and Henry are now playing with the following toys resurected from my childhood: Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and My Little Pony. There’s a Transformers movie on the way. I’m sure it won’t be long until you see Smurfs coming back to a screen (large or small) near you.

ANYWAY, the other night Emma was playing quietly with her Little Ponies (Minty and Marigold, if you must know) underneath the train table. They live there. They have lots of pets, a bed, a dresser. You know, all the things that a Little Pony needs.

I’m lying in the floor watching Emma play and Henry wanders by with these crazy loud toys from McDonalds. They are a sort of trumpet-nosed alien and play some obnoxious music when you press their belly.

Emma and the Ponies, of course, wanted nothing to do with the aliens and Henry.

“NO! You can’t play here. Go away!” she told the boy.

Trying to be the peacemaker I said, “Oh, Emma, I’m sure that the space aliens are just here to play nicely with the Ponies.”

“Noooo! Not space aliens,” Henry growled. “Robots!”

“OK,” I said. “I’m sure the robot space aliens from Mars …”

“No! Not Mars!” Henry said.

“OK. Where are they from,” I asked?

“… from the fence! THE FENCE!”

“Um, OK. Emma, I’m sure the robot space aliens from THE FENCE just want to play nicely with the Ponies.”

“Noooo! We here to set you house on FIRE!” Henry growled. “AHHHHH! AHHHHH!”

Emma giggled and then shrieked. The ponies and the robot space aliens (from the fence) chased one another around Ponyville for a minute until Henry lost interest.

“Go away, you’re mean,” Minty the pony said.

“No, we’re nice,” Henry said, calming down.

“OK, then come to the park and play with us,” said Minty.

“OK. We go to the park with you… and set it on fire. AHHHHH! AHHHHH!”

T H E E N D

And now for some completely unrelated photos!