Bedtime Story

Kids can be great for your focus. I find myself listening much more deeply from all the exercise I get trying to track what two five year-olds are saying to me at once, and from remembering all their demands in the precise order they are issued.

"How about, I'm a dog, and you tell me run like a baby lion and practice jumping and rolling over. TELL ME!!" Okay baby. Doggy? Can you run like a baby lion and practice jumping and rolling over? "Yes!" "Grape juice! I want grape juice!"

Lately, I've taken to asking for three things to put in their bedtime story. Tonight I got four: a little girl, a leprechaun, a lion, and an old jump rope.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. And she loved riding on her lion. Everyday before breakfast, after school, and after dinner until bedtime, she'd ride and ride her lion. And she and the lion were happy. They did everything together. One day, her mommy decided that little girls weren't supposed to ride lions, and she sent the lion to the circus. Instead, she gave the little girl an old jump rope.

"Why did the mommy sent the lion to the circus?"

Because lions belong in the circus honey. They're not for little girls to ride around. So the little girl started learning how to skip rope.

"And it would go around once, and the rope would get stuck."

Well, that's what happened at first baby, but soon she could do it once, and then twice, and then ten times, and soon a hundred. And then she could do it backwards, and criss-cross, and soon she hardly ever missed. But she was still sad. She missed her friend the lion. She thought that maybe she could join the circus too. But she didn't know where it was.

"So she went to the zoo to get a map."

That's right honey. But on the way to the zoo, she met a leprechaun, and it seemed easier to just ask him. Mister leprechaun? Do you know where the zoo is? I miss my lion friend and I want to find him. And the leprechaun wiggled his nose and his ears and suddenly, she was in the circus. I mean, she was in the circus.

Twin B's eyes go big. "And mommy was in the audience."

That's right honey. And there were lots and lots of people. She was right in the center ring, and a lion was running toward her as fast as he could. And the audience was scared, because they didn't know what was going to happen. But the lion ran up to her and she jumped on his back and rode faster than she'd ever rode before.

And then, she started skipping rope, right on the lions back.

"On the lion's back!?!"

Yeah baby. She was really good at riding the lion, and she was really good at skipping rope, so she could do both at the same time. And the crowd was cheering and cheering. And afterwards, the circus owner asked her and her mommy if they could travel with the circus, so the girl and the lion could be the stars. And her mommy said yes. And the girl and the lion were happy, and rode together all the time.

"Daddy. That was a great story."