Tonight Halina pretended to be a mermaid all while getting ready for bed. It started with her "mermaid soak" in the bath tub -- a term and technique I believe that she picked up from a late night (with bath) at her friend Annika's. This involves lying on her back in the tub with the water coming up over her ears and her hair streaming out around her. Her little peaceful face pokes out, framed by the water line. She has not had the courage to put her head in the water before, so this is a big change.

When it was time to get out I hoisted her out in a big towel, arms and legs wrapped inside and said to the empty living room, "Look what I found in the tub. A mermaid. Should we keep her?"

Daddy came out of the kitchen to take a look. "Well," he considered. "I don't like the look of all mermaids. But I like this one. We will keep her."

She is heavy now. Forty pounds. And tall. I sat down with her on my lap. And I kissed her damp smiling cheeks.

After her mermaid soak, she drew a mermaid picture of us non-mermaids, had some undersea fruit (apple slices) in the shape of an H and was generally agreeable and willing to play with Luke as long as we all referred to her as a mermaid. It was a pleasant getting to bed experience.

In bed, she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. "Mommy the best," she said. Yes, it was her pretend baby voice -- not my favorite. But when I'm being told I'm the best, I can roll with it. "Daddy the best too," she added. "Lukie also the best."

Then she lay her head on my chest and said in her normal voice, "I wish I could, like, hug you forever."

Then she went to sleep.