"Seriously Cocoa Puff???"

Last night I was sitting on the couch catching up on DVRed espisodes of Ellen :) (I am a huge fan of Ellen!) I hear a noise behind me and when I turn around to look...it's Cocoa Puff. She has a little problem staying in bed sometimes...we've been working on it. For the most part, she now stays in her bed. Well, except for last night.

So, I now present you with the top ten ways to NOT stay in bed...These are in order of how they happened - and they all happened!

1. "I was practicing staying awake."

2. "I was just thinking about my new robe and how excited I will be to wear it." (I am attempting to make a robe...if I ever finish it, I think it will be pretty cute. You do know I'm a procrastinator, right?)

3. "When it rains, I cannot sleep."

4. "Thunder scares me." (Okay, let me just clarify that thunder has never scared her before and I know that she could have been really scared except that she was smiling when she said it.)

5. "My bed is not comfortable. I think I will sleep on the floor tonight." (I might have said okay to this one just to get her to go to sleep and then transfered her to her bed, except she was on the floor in front on the TV and apparently that's the only comfortable piece of floor in our whole house!)

6. "I need to sleep upside down tonight."

7. "I need some love." (I really have a hard time turning this one down. I know she's got me on speed dial! BUT, MckMama did a post recently on enjoying these times when they want you around...so I do! even if it is 11 o'clock at night.)

8. "Why are water and milk cold?"

9. "Thirsty." (I did not get her any water...I have to draw the line somewhere.)

10. And the last, longest reason...."Potty, again." (She didn't go the first time. I didn't even know she was in the bathroom until I walked into the blueberry room to check my email before bed...I saw the light on in the bathroom, so I opened the door to find Cocoa Puff kneeling on the counter. My jaw dropped and I started to chuckle at the same time....I mean, seriously?!?!?!

Oh, course she started crying because she knew she was 'caught' and she still thinks she won't get in trouble if she cries. (Does that work in any of your houses?) I got her down, saw that she went to the potty but didn't wipe..yuck, smelled her hands to see if she washed them...she hadn't...double yuck. She knows better, but she is three and it was close to midnight. We took care of bathroom business and I put her in bed.

The tears were still streaming at this point. I asked her to take a deep breathe - it usually calms her down. Then I explained why I was upset, quietly and rationally...I took a few deep breathes too! She calmed down a little to tell me, "Do you know why I was crying?"

"Because she got in trouble?" I reply.

"No, I was crying (tears start again) because...gasp...I miss...Papa...gasp...Nanny...gasp, gasp...so much."

I miss Papa and Nanny too! So, I snuggled up next to her and loved on her some more and told her some of the love was from Papa and Nanny.