When I was nine, I was resolved to write a story about a girl named Caitlin. The terms "self-insert" and "wish-fulfillment" were not in my vocabulary then, but they describe my aim quite satisfactorily.

The wish fulfillment aspect petered out after two chapters, because I found it much more interesting to write about things that had actually happened to me. When it came down to it, I had a LOT of interesting things to write about. So the first two chapters are nothing like my life, while those following are quite an accurate representation... save that I conveniently changed all the names, for the sake of "story".

Welcome to Caitlin's Adventures.

[All spelling and punctuation is taken down sic.]

Introduction

Although this story is fiction, and some events could not have really happened (like the dolls coming alive) this story is based on events that happened to the author and her younger sisters and brothers and what they played together. Also most of the names have been changed, to add a bit more "story" to this "biography" of my life from age 10 and up.

Verity A. Buchanan
(the author)

I was not even 10 when I wrote this. I was 9. Talk about wish fulfillment.

Chapter I

— MEET CAITLIN

Caitlin was a happy, adventerous, and artistic girl whose favorite pastimes were riding horses, biking, and art. No matter what the season, she enjoyed it thoroughly. Sledding in winter, leaf piles in fall, swimming in summer, and spring — well, spring was just wonderful. (She thought so especially because it had her birthday.) And riding in all seasons except winter, when she still gave her horse excersise by walking her up and down the shed. But winter was past, and spring had come in the glory of budding flowers and green trees everywhere, and it would soon be Caitlin's birthday. April.

***

Caitlin woke earlier than anyone else. She quietly turned off the alarm clock, set for 7:00 AM, and quietly dressed in a light blue shirt with dark green flowers on the edges, blue jeans, white socks, and, lastly, pulled on a sweater to keep off the morning chill. She slipped quietly out of the room she shared with Anne, Lizzie, and Janie to go to the front door for her sneakers. Slipping them on, she ran lightly outside and across the sparkling, dewy grass to the shed. Starlight, her horse since she turned eight (I wanted a horse; can you tell?), nickered softly, the white star on her forhead almost glowing in the dim light as she pushed against Caitlin, nuzzling for food. Caitlin rubbed Starlight gently, and gave her some breakfast, meanwhile glancing at her wristwatch. It was 7:15. She would have to hurry, because she had promised Mother to be back by 8:00.

Okay, brief intermission while I explain what's going on here. It's Caitlin's birthday, and she sent out invitations to all her friends. Now she's riding out to check all their mailboxes for their replies. Why she has to act as a deliveryman for her own mail, and why her friends didn't send their replies till Caitlin's birthday, are mysteries that will go forever unsolved down the mists of time. Probably Verity just wanted her self-insert to get an epic horsie ride in the first chapter.

Starlight was done soon, and Caitlin leaped on her back. They raced across the grass (WHOA GALLOPING A HORSE ON A FULL STOMACH NOW ARE WE?), down the road, and stopped at every mailbox until she reached town. Then she turned on a side street (gotta get into a dark alley to gloat over the loot), and read all the invatations. "Mmm," she said. "Katy and Jessie Carpenter, Jane Tomason, Nellie Max, Ruth and Esther Williams, Sally Taylor, and Marie Fuller. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

Satisfied that they would all come she turned back up E. State St., and stabled Starlight, kicked off her sneakers, and rushed in again to the cosy kitchen. Anne, Lizzie, and Edward were already seated, and Mother had her back turned, calling down the hall to the twins, Jhonnie and Janie to get up. She slipped into her chair and sniffed, the warm aroma of buttered, cinnamon-sugared millet rising in the air. Caitlin ate slowly, and still, even after she did her vaccuuming of the livingroom, it was only ten o'clock. She went to her art studio and drew an underwater scene, and this kept her busy so well, she hardly noticed the ring at the doorbell.

Chapter II — THE PARTY

Caitlin jumped up in delight as the Carpenters came in, followed by the other girls. The mothers waved goodbye, and Mrs. Wright welcomed the girls in with a smile. "Please take your shoes off in the hall. Bring your presents for Caitlin into the livingroom." In the livingroom, the girls put their presents on a large table and stared at the huge piňata hanging from the ceiling. It was shaped like a teapot, and colored blue and white. Each of the girls was blind-folded in her turn and had two chances to swing a baseball bat towards where they thought the piňata was. Finally it was Caitlin's turn. SMASH! went the piňata, and everyone was on the floor, scrabbling to get the treats. Mrs. Wright gave the girls each a plastic back to put the candy in until they got home.

Then it was time to open presents. Anne shyly came forward and handed Caitlin a small box. She opened it, and then smiled. "Thank you, Anne. How did you know I needed Scotch and masking tape?" (Uh, maybe because she lives with you, numskull.)

As she reached for the next present, Ruth and Esther grinned. "You'll love this, but you'll have to wait until winter to use it!"

Caitlin was mystified until she opened the gigantic package and uncovered a shiny new sled, painted bright blue, with silky-smooth wood and even a steering rope!

Ah the joys of childhood.

Sally Taylor and Nellie Max knew how Caitlin wanted to be an artist. Sallie Taylor gave her a water color set and ten different kinds of brushes, and Nellie Max gave modeling clay in all diffrent colors, and all kinds of sculpturing tools.

I was crying laughing while reading this aloud to my sisters the other night. This girl is scandalously spoiled.

Jane Tomason's present was a Lego set, and Marie Fuller's a matchbox car with a remote control. Jessica (or Jessie) Carpenter gave her a wooden farmyard, with barn, fences, gate, animals, and people, and Mother gave her a camera and her first pair of rollerskates.

Actual quotes from my sister as I read this: *gasping for breath through teary spasms* "Oxygen! Oxygen!" and "I'm totally not jealous of this kid at all."

But Katy Carpenter's present was the best by far. (No. No. Caitlin does not need any more presents. She already has bragging rights on breaking the piňata, for crying out loud.) She gently picked up a box punched with holes, and handed it to Caitlin, who also held it gently and took the lid off. Inside there lay a squirming white collie pup! (You cannot tell me that a puppy sat in a tiny dark box through the entire piňata madness and Caitlin's birthday-girl squeals without kicking up a fuss.) For a moment Caitlin forgot everything else about her, and picked up the little female puppy. "I'll name you Lassie," she whispered softly. The dog lay still, relaxing under the gentle carresses. Finally Caitlin took it upstairs and laid it gently on a soft bed of down. It fell asleep immediatley. Not until she was downstairs did she think about how the bed had got there, but that thought was soon driven from her head. It was time for birthday lunch!

They had carrot salad and scones, and fresh cows milk. And then came the birhday cake! It was magnificent, lemon with blueberry frosting, and on it in white frosting letters was written, 1 decade old. They oohed and aahed at the cake, and each peice disappeared with much admiring. Then it was time for games.

First they played Go Fishing. A timer was set for 30 seconds, while a stick of sturdy, rolled-up paper with yarn on it and a magnet on the end was lowered to the ground from a platform made of two ladders and some boards. On the ground were paper fish with safety pins attatched to them. You had to let the string down and try to catch as many fish as possible with the magnet before the 30 seconds were up. The first time Caitlin did it, all she brought up was a teensey piece of seaweed! That was -3 points. But then everyone who had lost took one more turn. This time Caitlin drew up, first a blue whale, then an octupus!

I actually played this game at a friend's birthday party, whence the piňata idea was also appropriated (I never had a piňata on my own birthdays, or had birthday parties/sleepovers, for that matter), except that we did not use a "platform" but the balcony overlook on the second floor. The sea creatures I caught and the order in which I caught them are also accurate. But regardless of all that, Caitlin the little sucker does not need any more limelight in her day.

She went happilly with three others to the prize room (which was just her own bedroom.) It was hard choosing, but finally she picked a wood-working set (a wood-working set?? This can't get worse.), and returned just in time to play musical chairs! Mrs. Write wanted to play, so Katy agreed to play the piano for a second round. First Mrs. Write played. Around and around they circled, until only Jane and Katy were left. Slowly they went around, grinning at each other. The music stopped. THUMP! "Katy wins!" Katy was given a box of chocolates, wrapped in red ribbon. Then the winner took a turn playing the piano. Mrs. Wright was an expert player, and got rid of almost everyone until only she and Caitlin were left. (Please no) But Caitlin wasn't worried. She knew what peice Katy was playing, and she knew about the surprise ending. The music stopped with breathtaking swiftness and Mrs. Wright looked up to see if anything had gone wrong. (Um the music is SUPPOSED to stop with breathtaking swiftness, that's the whole point of musical chairs, you don't know when the music is going to stop, and the musician definitely doesn't do some pre-arranged stopping time that only one other person knows about.) THUMP! came from behind her. "Caitlin wins!" (I swear Caitlin's whole birthday party was rigged) Caitlin was also given a box of assorted chocolates. Then they played table games, CATHEDRAL, Chess, dominoes, card games, and ZOOLORETTO. After an hour of playing tabletop games, everyone played outside until supper, when they were called in for pizza. Then the sleepover part began! Caitlin, Anne, and the seven other girls spread out their sleeping bags on the floor until the small livingrom had a totally new (and bizarre) carpet! They told stories and jokes until they finally fell asleep.

The net day, Caitlin waved goodbye to her friends who had been at her house for one day. "That was fun," she thought. "But I could sleep for a week."

You probably need it to get all that sugar out of your system.

Coming soon: Chapters 3-10, a.k.a. Part 2: Things That Actually Happened.