Now ... Take Off That Halo ... And GO. TO. SLEEP!

"What will 2nd grade be like," Alexis asks, while lying in the bed next to me.


I look over at my sweet girl. "It will be just like 1st grade - only a little bit harder and a little more work," I offer.

"But ... what kind of math will there be?"

"Oh ... addition and subtraction and maybe some multiplication," I say.

"Which is the one with the X?" she rolls onto her tummy and looks up with inquisitive eyes.

"That's multiplication," I explain.

We are lying in bed - me trying to go to sleep. But - not her. Her mind is racing with many thoughts and many questions.

"When I was in Pre-K," she begins to ramble. "I rode a white horse."

"I don't remember that," I say.

"Yes," she shakes her head. "It was a white horse. There was a black one that I liked better - but, I didn't get that one - I rode the white horse. And, I touched a chicken," and then she said the word chicken about 20 times and giggled like crazy.

"When they brought the petting zoo to your school?" I ask.

"Yes - don't you remember?"

"I really don't," I confess.

"Yes - I touched a chicken - and a pig," she giggles again.

"Wow," I say.

"Mama," she is now lying on her back and looking up at the ceiling. "Have you ever touched a pig?" she waits for my answer.

I see only the silhouette of her face in the darkness of the room. The light from the bathroom shines through a small crack in the closed door. She wiggles and squirms. She rubs her nose. She waits.

"I have never touched a bar of gold," I say.

"I have never put my foot in the Pacific Ocean."

"I have never shaken the hand of anyone famous."

"And ... I have never ... touched a pig."

She laughs.

"But ..." I interrupt her laughter and place my hand over her hand. "Do you know what I have touched?"

"What?" she gets all excited and sits straight up in the bed. The light from the bathroom shines through and off and all around the baby fine hair on her head. Her teeth shine brightly in the dark room - as I can see her huge smile.

I touch her again.

I smile.

I say ...

"I have definitely ... touched a lot of angels," and I squeeze her tiny hand in mine.

"No you haven't," she laughs.

"But ... I have," I say.

"I'm touching one ... right now."

On the upside ... And then I say, "Now ... take off that halo ... and GO. TO. SLEEP!

More wiggling and angelic giggling in the dark room.