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ninanevermore.
.
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Sweet Pea was in the tub the other night, and since he still cannot be trusted to wash himself very well (he rubs the washcloth over himself lightly for all of 30 seconds and says he’s done) I was there to scrub him down. He was lying on his elbows and started to turn himself over and over like a turkey on a spit, so that I was washing the front, then the back, then the front, then the back, then the front of the boy. This inspired me to sing.
“There were ten in the bed and the little one said roll over, roll over, so they all rolled over and one fell out. There were nine in the bed and the little one said…”
“Why did the little one say that?” Sweet Pea interrupted
“To make one of the others fall out so there would be more room for him,” I replied.
Sweet Pea frowned. “Why did he keep saying that?”
“So more of them would fall out.”
“Then what did he say?”
I fast-forwarded to the end of the song. “There were two in the bed and the little one said roll over, roll over, so they both rolled over and one fell out. There was one in the bed and the little one said, Goodnight!”
“Why did he say goodnight?”
“Because he had the whole bed to himself, then.”
“What did the other kids do?”
“I guess they finished sleeping on the floor.”
He scowled. “That wasn’t very nice of the little one.”
“No, he was kind of selfish,” I agreed.
“Why did he keep making them all roll over? Why not just enough of them so he had room?”
“Hmmm. There's an idea. Okay, imagine there are 10 kids on the bed. How many do you think need to sleep on the floor so that there is enough room for the ones left in the bed to be comfortable?”
“I don’t know. Four, maybe?
“I guess if all the kids were skinny like you that six might fit okay.”
“Yeah.” He squeezed his eyes closed so I could wash his face. He does not like having his face washed. Ever. “Eyes!” he exclaimed, meaning he wanted me to dry off his eyes so he could open then again. “Thanks,” he said when it was safe for him to blink without getting water in his eyes.
“If there were ten kids there, which one do you think was the boss?” he asked me.
“I guess the little one, since all the other kids were doing what he said to.”
“No,” Sweet Pea said, “I wouldn’t have picked him.”
“To be the boss?”
“Right.”
“Why not?”
“Because. I wouldn’t have. I don’t think he’s good for the boss.”
“Because he’s not nice?”
“Right.”
“Because he makes all the other kids sleep on the floor?”
“Right.”
“Okay, let’s fire the little one. He’s too selfish to be the boss. Please step out of the tub so I can wrap a towel around you. Thank you.” I draped the hood of a towel that looked like a bear over his head. The hood has bear ears on top of it, making him look a bit like a teddy bear with a pale face.“Who would you have picked?”
“Just one of the others.”
“There wouldn’t be much of a song then, would there, since all the kids would still be asleep in the bed?”
“No,” he agreed. “Probably not.” And the little bear wandered off down the hall to the bedroom, where his pajamas lay waiting for him. Apparently he doesn't like the song that much, anyway. It was worth sacrificing the storyline so that 10 kids could all sleep happily in their bed. Or maybe nine of them could, with one little jerk sleeping on the rug by himself.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * # * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
.
.
Sweet Pea was in the tub the other night, and since he still cannot be trusted to wash himself very well (he rubs the washcloth over himself lightly for all of 30 seconds and says he’s done) I was there to scrub him down. He was lying on his elbows and started to turn himself over and over like a turkey on a spit, so that I was washing the front, then the back, then the front, then the back, then the front of the boy. This inspired me to sing.
“There were ten in the bed and the little one said roll over, roll over, so they all rolled over and one fell out. There were nine in the bed and the little one said…”
“Why did the little one say that?” Sweet Pea interrupted
“To make one of the others fall out so there would be more room for him,” I replied.
Sweet Pea frowned. “Why did he keep saying that?”
“So more of them would fall out.”
“Then what did he say?”
I fast-forwarded to the end of the song. “There were two in the bed and the little one said roll over, roll over, so they both rolled over and one fell out. There was one in the bed and the little one said, Goodnight!”
“Why did he say goodnight?”
“Because he had the whole bed to himself, then.”
“What did the other kids do?”
“I guess they finished sleeping on the floor.”
He scowled. “That wasn’t very nice of the little one.”
“No, he was kind of selfish,” I agreed.
“Why did he keep making them all roll over? Why not just enough of them so he had room?”
“Hmmm. There's an idea. Okay, imagine there are 10 kids on the bed. How many do you think need to sleep on the floor so that there is enough room for the ones left in the bed to be comfortable?”
“I don’t know. Four, maybe?
“I guess if all the kids were skinny like you that six might fit okay.”
“Yeah.” He squeezed his eyes closed so I could wash his face. He does not like having his face washed. Ever. “Eyes!” he exclaimed, meaning he wanted me to dry off his eyes so he could open then again. “Thanks,” he said when it was safe for him to blink without getting water in his eyes.
“If there were ten kids there, which one do you think was the boss?” he asked me.
“I guess the little one, since all the other kids were doing what he said to.”
“No,” Sweet Pea said, “I wouldn’t have picked him.”
“To be the boss?”
“Right.”
“Why not?”
“Because. I wouldn’t have. I don’t think he’s good for the boss.”
“Because he’s not nice?”
“Right.”
“Because he makes all the other kids sleep on the floor?”
“Right.”
“Okay, let’s fire the little one. He’s too selfish to be the boss. Please step out of the tub so I can wrap a towel around you. Thank you.” I draped the hood of a towel that looked like a bear over his head. The hood has bear ears on top of it, making him look a bit like a teddy bear with a pale face.“Who would you have picked?”
“Just one of the others.”
“There wouldn’t be much of a song then, would there, since all the kids would still be asleep in the bed?”
“No,” he agreed. “Probably not.” And the little bear wandered off down the hall to the bedroom, where his pajamas lay waiting for him. Apparently he doesn't like the song that much, anyway. It was worth sacrificing the storyline so that 10 kids could all sleep happily in their bed. Or maybe nine of them could, with one little jerk sleeping on the rug by himself.
