Cousins and Nightmares

Here are Luke and his cousin River, my brother's little girl and the newest addition to the family. This was the first time any of us had met her and she made quite an impression. David and I were impressed because she is feisty and adorable and looks exactly like the few baby pictures we have of my mom, her grandmother, and Luke was impressed, well, because she was feisty. She took a liking to Luke's stuffed animal, his blanket, and his pacifier, and ripped them right out of his hands whenever she happened to notice him using them. But the thing that sent Luke right over the edge was the way she very calmly put her finger on his checker piece and moved it, just so, one square over, while he was trying to teach his cousin Max to play. "NO!" he'd screech in agony, his eyes bulging out of his head, his mouth a rictus of pain. "NOOOOO! NOOOOOO!" And she would smile up at him in her adorable way and move the checker over one square further out of place.

Early this morning he woke up crying. "Mommy," he said, tapping me on the shoulder. "I had a bad dream!"

"Oh poor baby," I said, hardly opening my eyes. "Go back to sleep and have a good dream..." I fished around for a moment, trying to think of something nice to distract him with. "Why don't you dream about mini-golf?"

He nodded, still sniffling. "Okay but first! First I have to show you my dream!"

I closed my eyes. "Okay," I said. "What did you dream?"

He said, "River was there in my room! And she was messing up my things! And then I went to get a cupcake! And then she smushed it in my face! And then she was FOLLOWING me EVERYWHERE."

"Oh, that's terrible!" I said. "Now go back to sleep."

Terrifying, isn't she? That's Luke's pacifier and blanket, by the way.

Comments

[Jacinda]

But look at that angelic dress!! How could someone dressed so fabulously do any wrong?

[kittenpie]

She IS adorable! Who could resist those big pink cheeks? (Oh, now I know why mine were always pinched, too. Oh dear, am I becoming that auntie?)

[Patricia]

Oh I adore her!! Please forgive my creative marketing brain, but once again...what a delightful character in a picture book! I can just imagine a wonder page with that feisty girl smushing a cupcake in a boy's face. Bwahahahahaha...

[Steph]

She IS fabulous and adorable and you're absolutely right, P -- she belongs in a book!