Good morning.

It's winter and I don't want to wake up.

My big girl crawled into bed with me last night, along with three of her blankets and a tumbling armload of stuffed animals. I lay, squished between them and daddy for a few minutes and then I whisper, "Honey, I'm sorry but you're being kicked out."

Daddy is really so sweet. I kiss him seven times sleepily on the shoulder. He doesn't protest. I stretch my arm and leg into the warmth he left behind. We're not the kind of parents to kick a baby out of bed. I think I'm probably just glad that they need me.

Our curtains are sheer, though and they let in the very first rays of morning sun. Scouty starts talking to a little white teddy bear she got yesterday at school. He came with a little note attached to his ear that said, "Happy Holidays. Love, your teachers," so he is, understandably very special. Through my attempts to keep sleeping, I hear her say, "Your name is Ted. Don't forget to tell mommy when she wakes up." Then her pointy little toes nudge me in the ribs. I do my best not to startle. I'm still sleeping, see?

Soon, little whispers between her and Ted turn into amazing acrobatic feats on his part. Somersaults in the air that make Scouty laugh, especially when he gets a little out of control and his plastic eyes smack off of the ceiling. "Mama," she says, "Can you get up, yet?"

"Five more minutes," I tell her.

She spends those five minutes jumping on the bed. I don't mind. I'm still warm and my eyes are still closed.

"I'm thirsty," she tells me. Honestly, I'm thirsty, too. It's a very gray day, but I can do this. I slept in a pullover sweatshirt with a hood for just this reasons. With my hood up and my hands pulled inside the ridiculously long sleeves, I push back the covers.

"How many days until Christmas, mama?" she asks.

I almost forgot. Only five more sleeps! "Five more sleeps," I whisper, trying not to wake the baby.

"Five more sleeps!" she screams. "Five more sleeps! Five more sleeps!" I don't shush her. She jumps a few times in excitement and then tackles me. This is the exact sort of thing that would annoy me, especially before I've had a cup of tea and a few minutes to be grumpy and ugly with sleepy eyes. I can't help it, though. She's too adorable. I even feel grateful for being kicked and elbowed all night.

Good morning.

Hilarious self portrait.



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Today's post is a link up with Heather of The Extraordinary Ordinary's Just Write. If you want to join in, write something about the details of your day and link up! Be sure to read a few other pieces and get to know some great new writers in the process.



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