Year of the Rat(ty)

Dear Diary,

Ratty was sooo excited to discover that this Chinese Lunar New Year is the year of the rat!  Today, he decked himself out to celebrate with his chopstick and tiny tea bowl and a piece of joss paper that I brought back from China in 2002.  Joss paper is sometimes called "spirit money" and was burned on special occasions for ancestors.  (You can read about it here. )  Ratty will NOT be burning my spirit money!  However, he insists that I run out and get some fortune cookies.  I can tell he will be impossible to live with this year.  (Henry and Pippa want to know if Mice are included in all this fun!)