Wake me up when the semester ends.

A few months ago, I added an obnoxious addendum to Olivia’s bedtime routine.  I mean, things were perfect as they were, but when we moved into my mom’s house, I was feeling like Olivia needed a little extra time with me.  Which is probably the case, but my SOLUTION is the part over which I’m kicking myself. 

The bedtime stories.  The ones that I make up, brand new, every night. 

It’s not like I don’t love watching her face light up during a particularly good story (they are few and far between, but they do happen occasionally!).  And the time spent together is wonderful.

But it’s just so much effort. 

My point is this:  It’s pretty difficult to come up with new material every night.  Like, two separate stories worth of new material.

So, tonight, as I laid my head down on the pillow next to Olivia, and thanks to my injudiciously late night last night, I started to feel my eyelids pulling heavily as I began my story.  Something about a fairy?  And  honestly, I have no idea what I started saying or how long I said it, but at one point, I was pulled forcefully into cognizance by Olivia’s question,

“WHAT’S TINSEL?”

Tinsel?  Like, tinsel?  Was I really talking about tinsel?  Somehow I’d started a story and wandered straight into Christmas decorations. 

I explained the purpose of tinsel, then asked her what story I’d been telling.  She scrunched her face a little and shrugged.  I must have been rambling. 

I barely finished the story; it ended with Fairy Santa and People Santa trading places?  I kind of drifted back a little while I was telling it, but it seemed to satisfy Olivia, so, at least there’s that.

And now, here are all the recent pics:

Cousins and fancy headwear.

Morning tea with the Queen.  The spider pjs really make the outfit.  That’s yogurt and Tang, by the way because we are totally CLASSY. (yeah, no.)

This picture makes my heart a little melty.

“Hey, Mom.  Take a picture of me posing like this.”

“And like this!”

“And this!”

“And this, too.”

She is so fancy.

Apparently someone told Thomas that this was acceptable behavior.  Standing!

This, however, is totally acceptable.  Even encouraged.

She loves her baths.  To the point of taking regular 1-2 hour baths. (and multiple water re-heatings.)  I can get a lot of homework done during these marathons, so I plan them carefully.

She is so proud of herself that she can finally wink!  I mean, sure, that’s not winking at all, but nobody tell her that.

She is always collecting fallen leaves.  And then stashing them in my car where they dry out and become a crunched up mess.

My friend Brooke had her baby shower this week.

Oh, she is the cutest.  And her baby boy will be too, I already know.

 

P.S. Please tell any fairies or princesses in the immediate area to exercise extreme caution.  The mean witch is totally spying on them with her telescope.