Watching *A Miracle on 34th Street* last night, my wife kept cracking up at Mara Wilson’s ultra-precocious 7 year old. You can’t really blame her. Only John Hughes could have written a child like this:
> **Kris Kringle:** Oh, Susan. Just because every child doesn’t get his or her wish doesn’t mean there’s not a Santa Claus.
>
> **Susan:** I thought you might say that.
>
> **Kris Kringle:** Did you? Yes. Well… A house is a very big order–
>
> **Susan:** And very expensive.
>
> **Kris Kringle:** And a baby, well a baby takes almost a year to, uh, to, uh…
>
> **Susan:** nine months. More if the lady’s late. Less if the baby’s a preemie.
The funny thing is, I would bet cash money that she was exactly like this when she as 7 years old too.