to want Pippi Longstocking to come to my house and cheer me up?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

She would probably make a bit of a mess but it would be fun.
I don't mind if she brings the horse.

Do you know, you sound just like my DD. She was really into Pippi when we lived in Switzerland and even tried to write to the author to ask her to come over. DD thinks she lives in Poland for some reason. DD had plans for Mr Nelson and some other child friends of Pippi too. I played along, easiest in the long run I find.

I'll give you a ring when she arrives and your dd can come over too.

My dcs were hatching plans to visit Mary from the Secret Garden and take her some of their toys - 'but not all of them'.

It's great when they believe that sort of stuff isn't it? DD read the Secret Garden and really wanted to send (we are overseas) 'the poor crippled boy' (not sure where she got that charming turn of phrase) a present.
With regard to Pippi, every year Switzerland has something called Fastnacht. Essentially it is carnival and you dress up. For three years running DD went as Pippi with an orange wig with wire in the plaits, big freckles and a stripy tights leg.