Where Does This Stuff Come From?!

The light was about to go off. Finally, bedtime had arrived.  And then she said, “Hide, quick! I see one, two, free praying mantises!!!”  Huh?

I complied, and we huddled under the thick comforter, despite the fact that it was a 90 degree day and we don’t have air conditioning.  Anna was wide-eyed – clearly it would be a long time before we actually got to sleep.

Alligator, Go Away!

One of the most interesting things about parenting, as I’m sure it is for just about everyone, is seeing bits of yourself in your child.  Reliving childhood experiences, yet handling them through the prism of parenthood, is eerie, yet fascinating.

Almost every night as Anna and I have our bedtime “huggle” (one of my favorite of her original words), I repeat the now familiar mantra: “Alligator, go away! Leave my Annapie alone!”  Anna smiles and closes her eyes contentedly …. until they pop open again approximately 10 seconds later.

Anna's non-imaginary alligator, "Aaron"

“Can you say ‘alligator go away’ again, mom?”