Noodles

Noodles spent the day playing outside with her friends. Her hands are dirty, but who could have fun and keep their hands clean at the same time? When she gets home, her poodle Tiny welcomes her by jumping on her and licking her face. Her mom sees her clothes and filthy hands and rolls her eyes. She asks Noodles to wash her hands before eating.

There are three days to go until Saturday, when Noodles and her family will move to California, or as Noodles calls it, the beach! She is all packed and ready to go, and the first thing she wants to do when they get there is visit the beach. In the end, it takes a few days for them to settle in and unpack all their belongings.

Noodles is one of the first to show up at Leila’s birthday party. She loves to dance, so she immediately steps on the dance floor. Her friends begin to cheer as she busts her fancy moves, and her body follows the rhythm of the song flawlessly. When everyone praises her, Noodles says, “I get it from my momma!” On the way home, her mom says she’s gotten her something.

It’s the end of the school year, which only means two things for Noodles: vacation and student pictures! Student pictures are a big deal for the senior class, as they are included in the yearbook. Noodles knows this, but is not concerned about it. She just wants to have fun!

Noodles has always loved animals. She has the biggest fish tank in the neighborhood, a pet rabbit, a pet hamster, and her favorite pet, a poodle with fluffy white fur called Tiny! Her family had two dogs before Tiny, but when their last dog Brandy fell ill, mom got Noodles Tiny to cheer her up. Noodles loves taking her to the dog park, and Tiny is so good at climbing ramps that it almost seems like she’s showing off.

Noodles and Leila are best friends and desk buddies at school. They like each other’s company so much that they play and do homework together, even after school. When Leila visits this time, neither of them is in the mood for homework. “I have an idea!” Noodles says after they have some sweet treats her mom made. They will play dress-up!

Noodles can’t wait to go to the countryside! She never gets bored there. There’s plenty of space, and she can play with her poodle, Tiny, all day long. This time, it’s snowed, and all she wants to do is make snow angels and build a snowman with her dad. As soon as she opens the car door, Tiny rushes out like lightning.