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"P rêt?” Madame Chamberlaine asked as she zipped her pink coat up to her chin and adjusted her fluffy pink hat.

My cousins grinned and buttoned their coats. We filed out the door and trudged through the snow. We walked behind Madame trying to keep up with her long fast strides.

We walked and walked and walked. My toes were freeeeeezing. My fingers were freeeeeeezing and my nose I think was already a chunk of ice.

“This is taking very long” I called to Madame. “I’m so cold!”

“This is cold?” My cousins laughed. “This is so much fun!” I stared at them. “For real?”

“Yeah we never see this much snow where we live. We’re all wearing boots and scarves. Our ears are a bit cold so what? This is the best trip ever!” Shuly and I rolled our eyes. “Not quite.”

Madame looked over her shoulder. “Maybe we need to ship you off to Brazil and let these mademoiselles stay here eh?”

Suddenly she stopped walking and said “Oh la la!”

“Oh no Madame” I said. “You sound worried.”

“Regardez” she said pointing to the building in front of us.

“No way!”

My four cousins — Rochelle Baila Esther and Raizy — had come to visit us from Brazil. Brazil is a bit of an upside down place. When we have summer they have winter and when we have winter they have summer! (They think we’re upside down by the way.) So they came to visit and Madame Chamberlaine came to visit too. It was loads of fun. 

Madame was leaving the following morning but had promised us one final trip before she left. She was taking us to “The Upside Down House” but... there were lines and lines of “do not cross” ribbon all over the building! A policeman was guarding the door.

“What happened?” Madame asked.

“A little boy tried to sit on the upside down couch and you can imagine what happened.” “Ouch.”

“Yup it sure was an ouch. That’s why we’re closed.”