Momnesia

Bedtime Brouhaha

Augusta, Ga. - Emerson's in a mood. She dances as I read her a story. She rapidly zips and unzips her footie pajamas. She bounces her forehead off the couch when I have her sound out a word (yes, you read that right). And she's flat-out getting on my nerves.

It's bedtime, and nothing I do calms her down. Finally, I just tell her that it's time to go on to her bed. Her eyes well up, and she runs away, wailing.

Uh... What?

"Emmie, come here, please," I call.
She runs back in, still wailing, and buries her face in my chest.

"Honey, what's going on?" I ask. More tears.

Ah. Okay. She's disappointed about something. I know she won't be able to tell me, because she can hardly define disappointed. So, instead, we rock, and snuggle, and slowly she calms down. When she seems back to her usual self - minus the forehead bouncing - I remind her that it's still time for bed. She smiles and toddles off after "more mooches."

Soon after, as I'm engrossed in the lives of the Miss Dashwoods, I hear what sounds like a duck quacking. And we don't have any ducks... yet.

"Emerson, bring that here," I call.

"Aw, MAN!" she exclaims, and trots out the kazoo she'd been playing with.

"Thank you," I say, give her "anudder mooch, and wave her to bed.

Five minutes later, another small sound catches my attention. But I can't identify it. Whrrrrrrrrrrzzzzz! Whrrrrrrrrrrzzzzz!

I sigh and put down the book. Elinor isn't going to get Edward tonight.

"Emerson -" I begin, but she pounds out of her bedroom with a wry grin before I can continue.

"Here ya go!" she grins, places the noisemaker beside the kazoo, and trots back off to bed.

I try to contain my laughter as my stash grows. Mr. Tamborine and a pair of maracas join in. Finally, I go in and take away the wooden box of musical instruments.

"Sleep. Now." I command, but only half-heartedly. She is endlessly amusing.

She yawns and nods, and snuggles down into her comforter. Her eyes close, and I can see that she's down for the night.

Dang.

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