Our small but mighty four year old has been on a mission since the bell rang on the last day of school—the first moment of summer holidays.

She wanted a new backpack for the next school year.

Chloe became consumed with the idea that her freebie backpack with Greg’s company logo on it wouldn’t fly two years in a row.

The backpack she was using didn’t have all of the flashy cartoon character bells and whistles. It did have space for her ipad, USB keys and was rigged with free WiFi. Kids in JK love that stuff right?

Her request was simple: “I want a backpack covered with princesses.”

Greg was able to convince her around Christmas last year that if she just used this backpack until the end of the school year, he promised to take her shopping and fulfill the princess-backpack dream.

The problem was, she never forgot.

She asked daily, sometimes hourly, “Is today the day we’re getting my princess backpack for next year?”

Sometimes she would be dozing on the couch and I would whisper, “Can I carry you to bed my angel?” and she would mumble, eyes half-closed, “Is today the day I get my new backpack?”

Sometimes we would be walking hand-in-hand to the mailbox and she would look up at me with those brown, puppy-dog eyes and say, “Mommy, is today the day I get my new school backpack?”

As we drove home that day in late June, Ellie shedding a tear of closure, bidding her teachers a fond farewell and waving goodbye to another solid year, Hanna furiously shredding pages and snapping her pencils in two, Chloe had one thing on her mind. I know I’m ridiculously close to getting that princess backpack.

This summer we have been to the cottage, we’ve spent hours in the pool, we’ve walked, gone for bike rides, visited with friends and family.

Chloe woke us up at 4:30am tapping Greg first gently on the shoulder and then using the sharpest point of her elbow, she pressed the tip of his nose until he was startled awake with a subtle bruise.

Greg: Chloe, are you okay? What do you need buddy?

Chloe: Is today the day we get to pick out my new princess backpack?

It was.