Chatterings

Juliette and I are sitting in her dark room. This is one of the best parts of the bedtime ritual; after her bath, we read books and then sit for a few minutes, calming down and snuggling together.  Many nights find mommy fighting sleep even as Juliette succumbs to it. On this night, however, Juliette is wide awake. It is getting late, though, and I want to make my way to my own bed, so I whisper to her “I’m looking at the clock, Juliette, and it says 2 more minutes until bedtime.” Since she can’t tell time yet, 2 minutes is just a metaphor for “soon”.  Sometimes it is 1, sometimes 5- the point is to give Juliette a warning.  Usually she will whisper back “I understand mommy.” Tonight, however, she responds “I’m looking at the clock too mu-mu, and it says ‘don’t go’.”

I should have known then that it was going to be a long night.

As I try to leave her room, she protests loudly “NOOOOOOO” and in a flash, jumps out of bed and runs to grab my legs. This is a new maneuver on her part, and it startles me.  Cosette is (still) screaming in her room, and her cries get louder to compete with Juliette.  I carry Juliette back to her bed, calm her down, and try to leave again.   More screaming.  Greg goes in and tries to calm her while I deal with Cosette.  When Cosette is finally sleeping,  I go back into Juliette’s room.  She holds her arms up and says “Hold me mommy”, and then points to the rocking chair.  I have a very quick mental debate about the benefits and downfalls of giving in, and decide that the best course of action is that which will allow me to get to sleep soonest.  So I pick her up and sit with her.  She is wide awake, and starts chattering. And chattering.  And chattering.  My goodness, no wonder she can’t sleep- she had a lot on her mind!  What are the mental ramblings of a 2 ½ year old? Let me give you an excerpt:

She makes blowing noises. “I’m blowing up a balloon.  Here’s one for you.  A red one.  Here’s one for daddy.  A purple one.  Mine is purple.  Yours is purple too.  No, not red, purple.  Here is a candy cane.  You can have another one.  You can’t have too many because you’ll get a tummy ache.”

Pause. She flicks her blankie a few times before continuing: “I’m going to make a snowball. This is how you make a snowball.” (demonstrates rolling a snowball). “Then you put it on the snowman’s belly like this.”(demonstrates patting it onto snowman).  “In the fall the leaves fall off the trees.  I like to rake the leaves.  I want to help daddy rake some leaves. I don’t have a rake.  We have to go to the store and buy one.”

Pause.  She sucks her thumb for a few minutes and I think that she is finally settling down, when she announces:  “I want to go the car wash.  When it’s not dark anymore.  We can’t go now cuz its dark outside but we can go tomorrow. The car is dirty. I’m a little scared at the car wash.  It is fun to be scared sometimes. I took a bath with Cosette.  She spit up in the bath.  We can take another bath tomorrow when it’s not dark anymore.  But no hair mommy. I cry when you wash my hair.  It hurts me. The ‘seum is closed.  Poppy can open it cuz he’s a good builder. No, not daddy, poppy.”

Pause.  She rearranges herself on my lap, then pretends to have the hiccups.  “Mommy, I have the hiccups!”  I know what she wants, but she doesn’t leave any room for doubt when she demands “tickle fingers!”  After a few minutes of tickles and giggles, she finally screeches “Stop, mommy, no!”

Pause.  Juliette concludes: “Look mommy, I’m poking my eye.  I’m hurting myself.  My zipper is too high it hurts me. No, I fixed it.  Daddy put it too high.  He’s just a boy. PJ’s a boy.  There are 2 boys and 2 girls.  There are lots of boys.  I was sad mommy. I cried for you. I love you when you came in.”    

That last statement gets me. “I love you Juliette.” I give her a big hug and then tell her  “Two more minutes.  Do you understand?”

“I understand mommy.”

Ten minutes go by in silence. After a gentle nudge, she walks over to her bed, tumbles in, snuggles up to her froggy pillow and her Elmo, gives me a kiss and says “good night, don’t bugs bite, see you tomorrow.”