Bringing Imaginary Friends to Life

One of the things I find most endearing about young children is their unadulterated imaginations. It isn't only the magical stories they tell, but also the creativity behind their drawings that make you wish you were a kid again.

So last November, when Madeleine, one of my 6-year-old twins, told me she wanted Santa to bring her Toto, the imaginary, friendly pink monster she had been doodling on and off for a couple of months, I did what any self-respecting parent would do in the same situation. I lied. "Maybe if we write to him extra early and give him all the details of exactly what Toto will look like, the elves will have time to create her for you," I said, determined to keep the magic of Christmas alive.