Once Upon A Time

Last night, after American Idol, SweetCheeks went off to bed. Papa read her a story and asked her if she would give him a kiss goodnight and she said, "No- NEVAH". That seems to be her newest, and most oft used term, Never....or, as she says it NEVAH. She did, however, come off her high horse long enough to blow him a kiss and give her deep little chortle as she headed up the steps.

We have a little routine. When the kids are here I sleep upstairs in the spare bedroom so I can hear them if they awaken in the middle of the night. When SweetCheeks is here she likes to fall asleep in that bed and, when I go to bed, I move her to her own "wittle bed"....the family crib. She is really big enough to sleep in a regular bed but she likes the crib and I know she is not prone to wandering about at night if she is in it.

So, bath time sweet, and all tucked in with her baby doll she asks for a bedtime story (as opposed to a chair side story, I guess).. We read Goldilocks and The Three Bears for about the 300th time. As we finish that book she asks if I would "pwlease read just one moah". She has Hansel & Gretel all picked out. It is one of the old Golden Books my own kids had and has adorable, cherubic looking children on the cover.

We settle in and she is slightly drowsing. I am reading quieter, and with less enthusiasm, waiting for her to nod off. All of a sudden, we get to the part where the old crone is about ready to put Hansel & Gretel in the oven to COOK THEM and EAT THEM. SweetCheeks startles awake and starts to cry. "OH NO- Down’t wet her EAT dem, Nana". No, no, I assure her-she doesn’t eat them...listen.....Now, you would think the story would smooth out, wouldn’t you? Not so....when the crone leans into the oven Gretel gives her a push and she falls into the oven and burns up!
By now our poor SweetCheeks is beside herself. What WERE these story writers thinking? What kind of story is that for a child? It is one I heard myself and read to my own children - but still- Holy Cow- that is an awful story. I finally get her calmed down.

After SweetCheeks gets over the initial horror she asks what any child of this generation might asks ...."Is hers going to jail?"