Get ready to color. The Southeast Missourian and local McDonald's restaurants are teaming up for the second annual Teenie Beanie Coloring Contest. Last year, 642 children entered.

The contest begins Friday and runs through Tuesday, June 1.

Six complete sets of the 1999 McDonald's Teenie Beanies will be awarded to winners in three categories: Ages 4-6, Ages 7-9, and Ages 10-12.

Youngsters are encouraged to color their favorite Beanie Baby on an official entry form that will appear in the Friday and Saturday newspapers. Children can enter as often as they like, as long as they use the official entry form. Sorry, no photocopies or other paper will be allowed.

No entries will be returned because all will be forwarded to McDonald's for display in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson stores.

The most creative and unique drawings will be chosen by a panel of impartial judges. Any materials may be used to create the drawing.

Entries must be mailed to: Teenie Beanie Baby Contest, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701, or dropped off at 301 Broadway.

The deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 1. Any late entries will be disqualified.

The winners will be announced in the Wednesday, June 2 edition of the Southeast Missourian.

The contest is not open to employees and their families of local McDonald's stores or Concord Publishing House and its subsidiaries.

The order of the McDonald's Teenie Beanie Babies:

May 21

Freckles the Leopard

Antsy the Anteater

Smoochy the Frog

Spunky the Cocker Spaniel

May 24

Rocket the Blue Jay

Iggy the Iguana

Strut the Rooster

Nuts the Squirrel

May 28

Claude the Crab

Stretchy the Ostrich

Nook the Husky

Chip the Cat