mosaic, originally uploaded by toyfoto.

Little Flat Annabel has returned and brought with her Little Flat Jaylene for a visit. For those of you who may not remember, last October we sent off Annabel's two-dimensional emissary to spend some time with her pen pal in Taiwan.

While she was with her hosts in Taiwan, Little Flat Annabel visited scenic places, participated in some crafty goodness and even went to school. She celebrated both Jaylene's and Annabel's birthdays, Christmas and both the American and Chinese New Years.

Now it's our turn.

Of course Annabel couldn't stop commenting on how many gifts the real Jaylene (and her mom) packed into their travel containers. Toys and books, handmade goodies, chocolates and teas, even lanterns to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

I tell you, we've been learning a thing or ten from this girl. (Although the Chinese language may not be among these things, seeing as how Annabel insists the words in the books are Spanish and "she already knows Spanish.")

Hopefully we'll be able to send Little Flat Jaylene home after her visit with some surprises of our own.

The first stop of her travels ... besides vising our new house and seeing the room that is to be Annabel's ... was to preschool, where Annabel introduced Little Flat Jaylene to her teachers, Pat and Marcia, and learned the introduction was fortuitous as the class was celebrating the letter "T."

A timely theme for talking about a tyke from Taiwan.