We asked Ben what he wanted for Hannukah. “Pokemon Platinum DS game” was the clear response. So we went to Future Shop and that’s what he got.

We made it clear to Ella that she didn’t need to get anything just because Ben was getting a game. Then we suggested she might want to think about it and maybe get a ring to replace plastic one she had been wearing for the past several months. If the plastic ring was a ring test then Ella passed it with flying colours. That plastic ring went on and stayed on – day after day – for several weeks. She was ready for a real ring.

So today Ella and her mom went to the mall and she found what she wanted – heart-shaped birthstone (Ruby), size 2.5 with her initial engraved beside.