The Five Senses Surprise

The car was packed, the snacks were ready, and the family was on its way! But in the back seat, Lily had her eyes glued to her tablet. "Are we there yet?" she asked, not even looking up.

"Look, Lily-bug!" said Dad, pulling the car over. "Look at those giant, sleepy mountains!" But Lily just shrugged. The cartoon on her screen was much more interesting.

"I have an idea," said Mom, with a little smile. She gently put the tablet in her bag. "Let's play a new game. It's called 'I Spy with My Five Senses.' First, what can we *see*?"

Lily squinted out the window. "I see a big pointy rock," she said. "And a cloud that looks like a fluffy sheep!" Dad mooed like a cow, and Lily giggled. "No, a sheep!" she corrected him, laughing.

Next, Mom said, "What can we *hear*?" They rolled down the windows. A little bird went *tweet-tweet-tweet* from a nearby tree. A gentle breeze whispered through the grass.

"Now, what can we *smell*?" Dad asked. He pulled over next to a field of colorful flowers. Lily took a big sniff. "It smells sweet!" she exclaimed. "Like Mommy's perfume!"

They found a little stream. Mom helped Lily dip her fingers in the cool water. "What can you *touch*?" she asked. Lily picked up a smooth, grey stone and a fuzzy, green leaf. "The stone is sleepy, and the leaf has a beard!" she said.

As the sun began to set, they got back in the car. "Last one," said Dad, passing back a container. "What can we *taste*?" *CRUNCH!* went Lily's apple slice. "Sweet and noisy!" she declared.

They drove into the city, which glittered with a million lights. "Wow," said Mom. "It looks like the whole sky is full of fallen stars." Dad added, "Like a big, sparkly birthday cake!"

"Look!" Lily shouted, pointing her small finger. "You missed the best part!" Mom and Dad looked where she was pointing. Tucked between two tall buildings was a perfect, sliver of a moon, smiling down at them. "It's the moon's smile," Lily whispered. And they all smiled back.