Miss Mary Mack

Uniforms were on... medications were dispensed... breakfast was being consumed. Then, exactly 12 minutes before the school bus was due to arrive, Elisabeth sighed and groaned, "Oh, no, I just remembered-- today is 'Dress As Your Favorite Book Character Day!'" I stopped what I was doing. I closed my eyes. I inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"OK," I said. "I will drive you to school... But that still means you have only 10 minutes to put together your costumes. And I need to get in the shower, so you're ON YOUR OWN!" Both girls hopped to-- and were off.

Once I was through the shower and dressed, I started herding kids toward the car. Elisabeth and Amanda astounded me with their speed, resourcefulness and creativity. Libby was some kind of a fairy from her Barbie and a Fashion Fairytale book. Not a real stretch for her-- just an excuse to wear pink tulle to school. But, Amanda, now, Amanda: She was wearing black shoes and tights, a black dress, and a black cardigan, but the sweater was on backwards so a line of sparkly buttons ran up her spine.

"That's quite the outfit," I said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Miss Mary Mack," Amanda replied, and she held up the children's book based on the rhyme. And Amanda looked JUST LIKE MISS MARY MACK on the cover. Oh, how I wish I'd taken a few seconds to snap a photo. The child is so innovative, and me, without a novel idea in my head.

Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack
All dressed in black, black, black
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons
All down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother
For 50 cents, cents, cents
To see the elephants, elephants, elephants
Jump over the fence, fence, fence.

They jumped so high, high, high
They reached the sky, sky, sky
And they didn't come back, back, back
'Til the 4th of July, ly, ly!