The Cat that ate the Canary

This statement adequately describes how Emma looks when I go into her room and she is NOT napping.

This morning, I put her in her bed, laying her head on her pillow, putting one pacifier in her mouth and the other in her hand, and placing two blankets over her, placing one next to each cheek. This is a routine we go through every time we put her down in her bed.

She often talks before going to sleep. She often talks and doesn't go to sleep at all. I'm not ready for her to give up crib time, whether she be sleeping or resting, because I use that time for schoolwork for Samantha and Michael.

As with many days, I went back into Emma's room because she was talking about 30 minutes after I put her down. I open her door and the look on her face is definitely one of "The Cat that ate the canary." She tries to look all sweet and innocent. But, of course, she is sitting in an empty crib. The pillow, both blankets and both pacifiers are strewn on her floor. And sometimes, even the corner of the sheet is pulled off of the mattress.

But of course, she is innocent of any wrong doing.

So, I put everything back in its place and tell her to lay down. After a minute of silent defiance - testing to see if I will MAKE her lay down - she finally lays down on her pillow with a sweet little smile as if to say "I've done nothing wrong"