Use Your Words.

At bedtime...

Me:  G'night Mabes.

Mabel:  Mommy?

Me:  Yup.

Mabel:  Today? At school? I was playing with Jetsan? And Carter and Deyen were like, we want to play too.

Me:  Uh huh.

Mabel:  Yeah, and they were like, 'we wanna play with Mabel'. It was silly.

Me:  Oh yeah, so did you play with everybody?

Mabel:  No.  I mean, yes.

Me:  Oh.

Mabel:  Yeah, and then Celeste came up and said, 'hey Mabes what are you doing?' and then Amelie ran up and then all the girls ran up and then this swirly thing happened and then all the girls in the whole class ran up to me and then Ms. Woods joined in, and then Ms. Farmer and then all the teachers joined in and all the kids and everyone was going 'yeah!' and we were in the gym and everyone in the whole school was there and they were all like, 'Mabel!' and they lifted me, and then i didn't know what to do.

It was so silly. Why did that happen?

Me:  Well Mabes, it sounds like you were either part of a flash mob, or a spontaneous Bollywood number.

Mabel:  What's 'spontaneous'?

Me:  When you do something or think of something right on the spot without planning it beforehand.

Mabel:  Mommy, something happened to my eyes, they won't close anymore.

Me:  Oh yeah, isn't that weird that only happens at bedtime. Is there any chance you're fibbing?

Mabel:  No. I'm spontaneous.

Everytime We Say Goodnight...

I come to Mabel's bedroom at 9pm.  She was singing 'Tomorrow' in bed for awhile,
now she's sobbing.

Me:  Aw, what's the matter Mabesy?

Mabel:  I was thinking about Annie, and how she was at the orphanage, and she was looking for her parents, and she found out she was a real orphan because her PA-RENTS-WEREN'T-COMING-BACK-FOR-HER-RER-RER-RER AHAHAHAH!

Me:   Oh Mabes, your Mommy and Daddy are here and we're right downstairs.
We love you sweetheart, don't be sad.

Mabel:  Mommy you and Daddy would never leave me at an orphanage, right?

Me:  No way Mabes, we'd sell you on Ebay!

Mabel:  Mom-mee!

Me:  No! No way Mabes, you are the most important thing in our lives. If Daddy and I didn't have you we'd go bananas. We love our Mabes!

Mabel:  Mommy, my tummy is telling me it doesn't want to sleep.

Me:   I know Mabes, but it's bedtime.
Now what are you going to dream about?

Mabel:  I'm going to dream about you and Daddy.
Mommy, do those lines on your forehead mean you're getting old?

Me:   Well, I wouldn't say old exactly, but old-er. 


Mabel:   But I don't have them, right?

Me:   Right.

Mabel:  Because I'm not old.

Me:   No.

Mabel:  Mommy, does getting old mean you're going to die soon?

Me:  Whoa. Okay, no. It's not as simple as that.
But after you're old for a long time you die, yes.

Mabel:  What is that?

Me:  Um...

Mabel:  Is Teita (Grandma) old?

Me:   Nope. Not our Teita, she's not old at all.

Mabel:  What about Gaga (Great-Grandma)?

Me:   Um, yes Gaga is old.

Mabel:  So she's going to die?

Me:   Some day, yes.

Mabel:   Annie's parents died.  But you're not going to die, right?

Me:   No. (I feel guilty) Not for a long time.

Mabel:  Good, because who would take care of me?

Me:   Well, you don't have to worry about that Mabes. You have lots of people around you who love you and who would take care of you.

Mabel:   It's okay, I would tell them they can't have me, because my Mommy's not going to die.  I'm NEVER going to be an orphan!

Me:  Now it's time to close your eyes and go to sleep.

Mabel:   You're not going to die, right?

Me:   Nope, I'm just going to go downstairs.

Mabel:  Okay, see you tomorrow...Right?

Me:  That's the plan.

Mabel:  Okay g'night Mommy. Remember...no dying.

Me:  Will do.

Mabel:  Okay Mommy, you can go now. I'm tired.

As I'm closing her door...

Mabel:   REMEMBER-WHAT-WE-TALKED A-BOU-OUT!

Me:   G'night Mabel.

Can't Sleep Won't Sleep

Mabel:  Mom-mee?

Me:  Yes,  Mabes.

Mabel:  Um, I can't sleep.

Me:  What do you mean?

Mabel:  (sighing) I just feel...I'm trying to close my eyes but I don't go to sleep. I can't sleep.

Me:   Well to be fair, you're not really trying too hard. You're squeezing your eyes really tight and that's going to make you see stars, but it probably won't make you sleep.

Mabel:  Stars?

Me:  Yeah, those bright lights you see when you squeeze your eyes.

Mabel:  But I like the stars, they keep me company when I'm scared.

Me:  What are you scared of, Mabes?

Mabel:  Monsters. Ghosts. Vampires. Shadows. Scary things. Bats. Monkeys with powers.

Me:  Okay, that's a big list.

Mabel:  Yeah. Things get pretty scary.

Me:  Alright, well lets talk about all those things. Have you ever seen any of them?

Mabel:  Yuh. I saw a bat.

Me:   In your room at night?

Mabel:  No. In that cave at that zoo.

Me:  Well because that's where the bat lives.  And where does everybody want to be when it's nighttime? Home. Just like you at night, all snug and cosy in your bed at home.

Mabel:  Bats don't sleep in beds.

Me:  That is true.

Mabel:  But I get what you mean.

Me:  Oh good Mabes.

Mabel:  Yuh. But I still can't sleep.

Mabel: Well, it's 5. We'll try again at 8, 'kay?

Even When We're Just Having Dinner, We're Making Magic.

Mabel:  Mommy? You know what I'm not understanding right now?

Me:  What Mabes?

Mabel:   Everything you're saying.

Sam:   Shortest 'Mabel Drops Science' ever. 

Phantom pain

 Mabel:  Mommy, okay. You know...when... Okay. Mommy. You know when thurr's just... Mommy what do ghosts be for Halloween?

Me:  What are ghosts for Halloween? Well I think they're ghosts, right? They're already something, they're ghosts.

Mabel:  No.

Me:  No?

Mabel:  Mommy, just listen. Ghosts can't be ghosts because thurr already ghosts and you're suppost to wear a costume. So... Ghosts can't be ghosts!

Me:  I feel like you're really trying to complicate something that ghosts already had pretty figured out, Mabes.

Mabel:  Mommy, you told me I hadta have a costume. Now I'm worried that all the ghosts in the world will feel left out of Halloween because they jus have ghostiness and no costume. Isn't that sad?

Me:  Well I don't know how often they get invited to parties, so maybe it's not even a thing.

Mabel:  Mommy, you're being silly.

Me:  I'll try to watch that.

Mabel:  Mommy, I think I should start finding costumes for the ghosts to wear.

Me:  Good thinkin', Mabes.

Mabel:  Can I look in your closet?

Me:  You want to look in my closet for Halloween costume pieces...for ghosts?

Mabel:  Yeah, spooky clothes an' funny stuff too.

Me:  Things that make you look silly or scary. In my closet.

         Stay down, 'my self esteem'.

What Do The Bugs Want From Me?

Me:  Mabes, why are you walking like that?

Mabel:  Bugs.

Me:  Bugs on the ground?

Mabel:  Everywhere. In the air.

Me:  Oh. Well, bugs live outside Mabes. We don't have to be afraid of them. They're much smaller than we are.

Mabel:  But they fly. They get on me.

Me:  Uh huh. But they don't hurt you, right? They just go about their business.

Mabel:  You mean they go to work?

Me:  Sure, they have jobs to do and they're out getting their work done.

Mabel:  (Snorts) That's ridiculous.

Me:  Look closely,  I think that one has a briefcase.

Mabel:  MOMMY!

Me:  I'm just kidding. But they have jobs, and our big feet sometimes make it hard for them to do what they need to do.

Mabel:  Because they're stinky?

Me:  No. Because they have to worry that we might step on them or be afraid and swat them.

Mabel:  Swat?

Me:  Swat means hit.

Mabel:  Hitting isn't nice. We don't hit people.

Me:  Well, we shouldn't hit bugs either. We just get out of their way and wish them well.

Mabel:  I'm not going to hit bugs. I'm not going to run from them either, because I might step on them.

Me:  Good idea Mabes.


A wasp floats lazily around Mabel. She stands perfectly still and screams at the top of her lungs - horror movie scream - pure terror. Despite this, the wasp takes awhile to float away.


Mabel:  See Mommy? While I was screaming I was thinking about good things happening to that bug. I wished him well.

Mabel:  Good for you,  Mabesy.

Me:   Well, it's just like this - I'm growing up.