Lullaby Drool

Critter is VERY tired tonight because she was up until 1 am at the sleepover last night. She didn't want to nap when she came home, so she and I went shopping for several hours. Mostly, I wore her out. When we came home, she was a virtual zombie, and quietly disappeared into her room for a 2 hour nap.

Now, of course, as we approach bedtime, she claims she is not tired and too wound up to sleep. I offer to sing her some lullabies, but she dismisses me. Politely. So I do the only thing left to me - I model the desired behavior. I trundle into her room, load in one of my favorite cassette tapes, and fiddle with the "mood lighting". I adjust the her new sheer curtains to cover the window, and wait.

Within moments, Critter is in her room, sprawled across her bed sideways, telling me it's her bed and there's no room for me. Ignoring her, I start the tape and tickle her feet until he moves enough for me to flob across the end of her bed. Not to be outdone, Critter flings herself on my stomach - sending us both into fits of laughter. Never mind that I can't breathe.

I systematically tickle her under her arms and around her knees until she frees me. And I take my leave. Within a few moments, she's back out in the livingroom - presumably giving Jewel Geek a goodnight hug. But actually, she's dawdling. So I march back in to her room and get under the covers, this time lying on my side with my bony hip up.

Critter flobs across my hip, and laughs like she has me pinned. I start rocking back and forth, which rubs her face in her blankets, and she's suddenly laughing hysterically.

"You made me drool!" she croaks, her voice raw with laughter and a pending cold.

"Oh, sorry," I chuckle back.

Critter adjusts herself farther across the bed, but still draped over my hip. I commence rocking back and forth again, and this time, her whole face is rubbed smooth in the blanket.

"Ewwww," she complains. "Now I have to go wash my face. It's covered in drool..."

Freed from her weight, I hop out of the bed, and begin my own bedtime preparations. Face cleaned, Critter reappears at my bedroom door, this time with a sincere goodnight hug for both me and Jewel Geek.

Exhausted, face washed, and sniffling, she is finally embracing sleep. Her blanket is still wet with drool.

She should have taken the lullabies.