When Paris and Nickie visit the day care, it's, like, surreal

By Lindsay Grace

November 11, 2004 | WILMINGTON, Del. - The hottest lunch hour Wednesday was at a Small Wonder Daycare in Wilmington.

None of the 30 or so people at the day care center was eating, though.

With craned necks, they peered into the parking lot of Greenhill Avenue in hopes of catching a glimpse of visiting reality television stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, who were in town filming Fox's The Simple Life 3.

Inside, the ditzy duo and their crew were eating lunch catered by Sugarfoot, including cobb salad and turkey, cucumber and brie sandwiches. They had been babysitting and changing diapers all day.

Outside, the crowd of super-fans, college students and curious passers-by lingered with cameras and binoculars on hand.

"It's worth taking a day just to get a glimpse," said Louie Wright, 23 of Wilmington.

At first, he sad he was going to call everyone he knew to tell them the Simple stars were in town, but then he thought twice.

"I realized the more people I called, the less of a chance I had," he said just as the newspaper photographer walked in front of him.

"Hey, I may need that camera if I'm the lucky one," he joked, referring to Hilton's infamous sex tape.

Lisa Fletcher, a segmant producer of the show, said all of the employees of the day care center signed a confidentiality agreement and could not talk about the show.

Fletcher would not say how long the crew was in town or where else they might be filming.

"To keep the season under wraps, we don't want to say what they're doing," she said.

Hilton and Ritchie were rumored to be staying with a family in Hockessin, Del., during their trip and were even spotted Tuesday at Taco Bell on Kirkwood Highway. A manager let it slip that the two had visited the fast-food restaurant, saying employees had signed a confidentiality agreement, so he could not talk about it.

Early Wednesday, they arrived at the day care center and helped load some children on a bus and pushed others in strollers down Greenhill Avenue.
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At one point, Hilton showed off her dance moves.

"The kids were singing and Paris was doing a little dance," said Candi Creese, a 21-year-old nurse who works across the street from the day care.

Doug Diver, manager of neighboring Diver Chevrolet, went outside when he saw the two out in the street.

"Nicole was flagging people down trying to get rides, just having fun," he said.

One fan who would not give a name had a Sharpie maker in one hand and a binder of Hilton's photos and magazine covers in the other. He stood at the edge of the day care property, even writing down the license plate of the sports utility they were driving.

Peter Martz, a 23-year-old senior at University of Delaware, blew off classes for the day to see Hilton.

"I wish I was a kid," he said, thinking the only way to get behind the guarded entrance of the day care center. "This never happens in Wilmington. One glimpse is worth standing for hours," he said, letting his mind wander to what he and his friends were going to do if Hilton came out to see them. "Me and my boys are going to scream, ‘Paris, I love you!'"

For him, the draw is simple, just like the show: "They're sexy chicks. They party hard and don't care about much."

Anthony Cutrona, 70, stopped by after seeing the commotion. After a group of high school students explained to him who Hilton and Ritchie were, he asked, "are they married?" before shuffling off to his doctor's appointment.

Soon after, Ritchie fan Leah Cavazzini and Hilton fan Kristina Ruggerio, both 16, arrived straight from Ursuline Academy after classes let out.

Ruggerio arrived to calls of "Paris!" from those waiting for the reality TV star. Tall, thin and blond, Ruggerio said she regularly gets mistaken for Hilton.

"I always get asked for autographs," she said. Ruggerio's mother, Renee, said she wanted to ask Hilton if her daughter could do her double work.

For parents of children at Small Wonder Daycare, it was less The Simple Life and more the Surreal Life.

When Kendra Worthy went to pick up her 5-year-old daughter Shalome, she was told the crew was filming in the infant room and would be an hour.

After making it clear she needed her child, someone passed word inside.

Soon after, Hilton came out holding her daughter and diaper bag.

"She told me I had the most beautiful baby she had ever seen," said Worthy, 30, of Wilmington.

"I'm sure she's been saying that to every parent."

After giving her Shalome, Hilton forgot she had the diaper bag on her shoulder, forcing Worthy to ask for the bag.

"I was like, uh, can I have the diapers?"

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