Annie returned home last night after five months of scholarship in Northern Ireland, which we are told is not so culturally different from the USA, circa 1995. Della, influenced by the fierce sister love of Disney’s Frozen, has come to think of Annie as her sister from another mister. For all these five long months, Della has been saying things like, “Annie is MY sister” and “My sister never hurts me.”

One time I visited Della’s school and read to the kids a book about transportation.

Me: Look, it’s a plane! Where do you think the plane is going?
Della: Ireland! To see my sister!
Me: Okay, how about this boat?
Della: Ireland!
Me: Where is the bus going?
Della: Ireland!
Me: Buses actually can’t go all the way to Ireland because buses can’t go on water. So let’s think of somewhere else the bus could go.
Della: Ireland!
etc., etc.

(At the time, Della was not aware of the difference between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Of course now we’ve talked about it, and she understands everything.)

Speaking of Northern Ireland, they really wear these hats there all the time.