Just a few nights ago I covered up my five-year old with a soft pink and white fuzzy blanket before piling on her queen-sized floral comforter. I took one look at the smiling blue eyes peeking out from the mountain of ensured warmth and forgot the book waiting for me downstairs. Prompted to spontaneity, I threw back the covers, hopped in, and tossed the layers of comfort over both of us. We lay nose to nose and stared in each others eyes before the inevitable giggling started... you know, the kind that is born of an awkward closeness while invading someone's space. We were within breath-fogging proximity yet neither of us were shy in the nearness. Truth be told I've most likely desensitized her to the need for personal space over the years with my constant nuzzling.
She caved first and slowly inched backwards...probably so she could see my whole head without going cross-eyed. My youngest shares this large bed with her 14 year-old sister, a fact I hear about frequently due to the youngest's tendency to thrash about and lob her teeny feet and legs into her sisters face nightly. I was thinking about that discrepancy and asked my little one if she and her older sister sleep nose to nose. "No," she responded then went on to act out her words of, "I like to try to SNUGGLE UP," she said, letting the words build in tempo. She inched herself away from me while stretching her words, "Then I baaack away kinda slowly." Once again she wiggled close, quickening her words as she said, "Then I try to SNUGGLE UP," before carefully scooching backwards while lowering her voice to say, "then I hafta baaaack away kinda slowly.... then I fall asleep." She was letting me know her tactics to incrementally sneak into her sisters personal space to get warm and cozy without being noticed until she was tired enough to conk out in her own little zone.
I then asked if she liked sharing a bed with her older sister and she nodded emphatically adding, "until I get my own bed." Knowing her fondness of cozying up, I was surprised and asked, "Oh, do you want your own bed? She looked at me earnestly and replied, "Yeah, maybe when I'm 11...or 18...or 39."
The mind of a five-year old holds delight and somewhat random thoughts...and ages. That evening was a fine example of diving into a darling moment that would have been missed had I heeded the call for my own personal space. I'm no longer 11...or 18...or even 39 for that matter. It's a sweet delight to enter the mind of youth and perhaps even gain inspiration. I wonder if my husband will notice my cold feet inching towards him this evening?
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