"My heart's desire... right in my own back yard"

We got home right about bedtime, but it was evident Stinky wasn't ready for sleep. I plopped him on the couch so I could prep a sippy cup that I hoped would help him unwind and get ready for bed. As I turned on the TV, I heard the familiar strains.

As a little girl, I watched The Wizard of Oz at least twice a week. My mother would bribe me with the movie, and claims I wouldn't blink while I watched it. I had a stuffed dog named Toto, and often claimed to be Dorothy. Being able to play Dorothy last year was a dream come true. The movie's theme and music are near and dear to my heart. I am proud to say that I own my very own pair of ruby slippers, even if they are the most uncomfortable things I own.

I settled in next to Stinky, figuring he might like the music and the dancing for a while, then get tired enough to put to bed. I don't know if it was the hours he spent at rehearsals, or having me sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" to him when I put him to bed. Maybe my childhood obsession with the movie is somehow ingrained into my genetic makeup now, but he stayed awake through the entire movie, snuggled up to me, eyes glazing over. We sang the songs, and I'd repeat lines with the movie, just like I would as a little girl. This line, as Dorothy departs from Oz, resonates with me even more as a wife and mom:

"It's that, if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with."