Free Peggy Gifford_Moxy Maxwell 02 by Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes

chapter 2
    Numbers 1 Through 12 on Moxy’s List of 13 Things to Do Before Tomorrow
    Numbers 1 through 12 on Moxy’s List of 13 Things to Do Before Tomorrow were to write twelve thank-you notes. Last year she hadn’t finished writing the thank-you notes for her Christmas presents until the day before Easter. This year, she promised her mother, they’d
all
be finished by the day
after
Christmas. And today was the day after Christmas.
    â€œDear Nonnie, Thank you for the fabulous money. Love, Me,” read Moxy. She was resting on her bed, her new thank-you-note stationery balanced on her knees, while her mother folded Moxy’s baby blue petal-patterned swimsuit into her suitcase.
    â€œTell Nonnie how you’re going to spend the money,” said Mrs. Maxwell. “And be sure to wish her a happy New Year.”
    â€œBut that will take
forever,
” said Moxy. “And I have eleven more thank-you notes to go.”
    â€œA thank-you note isn’t something you
have to do,
it should
mean something.
It should come from your heart,” said Mrs. Maxwell.
    â€œBut my heart hasn’t got time,” Moxy replied. “It has to go with my body to the mall to exchange the evening gown Aunt Margaret and I picked out for me to wear to the Big New Year’s Eve Star-Studded Hollywood Bash Dad’s taking me and Mark to. He said Madonna might even be there.”
    â€œI heard Shrek might be there too,” said Mark. Mark wasn’t “thrilled to death” (as Moxy put it) about the Big New Year’s Eve Star-Studded Hollywood Bash.
    Not only was Mark Maxwell the second-most-famous photographer on Palmetto Lane, he was also packed for their trip tomorrow, which was why he had time to take this picture of the inside of Moxy’s half-packed suitcase. He called it “California Dreamin’.”

    â€œCalifornia Dreamin’,” by Mark Maxwell.

    Exchanging the evening gown Moxy and Aunt Margaret had picked out for Moxy to wear was number 13 on Moxy’s List of 13 Things to Do Before Tomorrow.

chapter 3
    5 Reasons Why Moxy Had to Exchange the Evening Gown
    1. It was strapless.
    2. It was black.
    3. It had too many sequins.
    4. It had a train that extended five feet behind her.
    5. Moxy was only ten.
    â€œIt’s a shame it didn’t work out,” said Moxy. She was looking at the photograph Mark had taken of her when she first modeled the dress for everyone. He called it “Moxy’s Moxie.”

    â€œMoxy’s Moxie,” by Mark Maxwell.

    â€œI’m sure we’ll find something just as cute at the mall this afternoon,” Moxy went on. “I think I’ll go with a short skirt this time—something with gobs of glitter.”
    â€œYou’re not going with anything, including with me to the mall, until you finish writing your thank-you notes,” said Mrs. Maxwell. She was looking under Moxy’s bed as she spoke. She pulled out two old ice cream bowls and a plate with a fork stuck to it.
    â€œMom, have you decided where you want to live when I’m a rich and famous movie star and buy you a mansion?” asked Moxy, gazing at the big toe on her left foot. (It looked bigger than usual.)
    Number 3 on Moxy’s List of 218 Possible Career Paths was to become a rich and famous movie star and adopt 17 starving children from around the world (she wasn’t sure if she would have a husband) and live with them and their 17 nannies in a mansion near all the other rich and famous movie stars who were adopting starving children from around the world.
    Moxy had been studying how to break into show business for more than three weeks now, and as far as she could tell there were only two ways to do it. One way was to have enormous talent and perseverance. The other way was to be “discovered.” Being “discovered” seemed easier.
    But according to Moxy’s father, the only way to be “discovered”