The Princess and the Pea...er, Ball

I'd sworn up and down before Sybilla was born that I wasn't going to let my kids sleep in bed with me. My sleep was precious and I wasn't going to allow that kind of behaviour. Apparently I'm more of a pushover than I thought! And Sybilla knows it too, because lately she's been showing up on MY side of the bed. I'm usually too tired and too dazed to refuse and there has been more than one occasion where I wake up and marvel at the cleverness of my daughter for crawling into our bed all on her own, only to be told by my husband that I was the one who pulled her in. Sybilla usually doesn't come into our room until about 5:30 or so, which is only an hour before we get up, so it's really not THAT bad, although Michael might disagree with me when he receives a kick in the chest or face from a certain small person's foot.

When she comes to bed to us, she is typically accompanied by her "lovies," those everyday items that lend her comfort. Lately those items are her "bubba," her blankie, and her monkey George and while we always have bubba, we might not always get blankie or George. Last night however, we were not only joined by all three, but we had another guest as well:

Yes, that green and white rubber ball has become one of Sybilla's favorite things to carry around and sometimes she goes to sleep with it. Last night when she came to bed with us, she brought it with her unbeknownst to us. This is how it happened:

[pitter patter pitter patter, pause]
"Mama."
"Mmmf, wha...?"
"Mama!" I see a little figure next to my bedside. I know what she wants.
"Oh, ok." [grunt groan, pull, lift, swing, PLOP, giggle] (the kid weighs thirty two pounds..you try lifting that over your head while you're asleep in bed!)
I fiddle with the covers and get her situated in between us. The husband continues to sleep. [grumble grumble]
"Ba, mama, ba!"
"Huh?"
"Ba! Ba!"
"Shh, Billa, put your coco down, go night night." (Coco is head, short for coconut)
"Ba! BA, MAMA!" Sybilla is insistent. Michael grumbles something not worth repeating in polite company.
"Night night baby." I say firmly, but she doesn't relent.
I roll over onto my back, determined to ignore her. Suddenly I am acutely aware of a sharp pressing sensation in my mid-lower back.
"What the...?"
I pull out the object from underneath me and realize it's her ball and the item in which she has been asking for. I place it in Billa's hand. [happy murmurs. suck suck suck snore]
I sigh. I snooze...