A Room of Her Own

For as long as she could remember, Claire Danvers had shared a room with her little sister. Esme. Since Esme was only two years younger than Claire, that was pretty much most of her life. Claire was so tired of it. Esme was noisy and she left her things all over the room. She thought that just because she and Claire shared a room she had a right to butt into Claire's business. Claire's greatest wish was to have a room of her own."Please! Please!" she would constantly beg Mommy and Daddy. "Can't I have my own room?"

The answer was always the same. "You know we don't have enough room to give you your own room. We would if we could. We're sorry."

Claire didn't care that they were sorry. All she cared about what that she still had to share a room with her annoying little sister. It was just not fair!

Then, one day, Mommy and Daddy gathered Claire and Esme in the living room to talk to them. "Sit down." they told the girls.

"Uh Oh." said Claire nervously worried about what they had to say.

Esme was nervous too. She starting biting her lip. Claire took her hand. After all, she loved her sister. She just didn't want to share a room. They sat on the couch next to each other.

"Well." began Mommy once they were all seated. "We have good news and bad news or maybe just good news depending how you look at it."

"Oh?" replied Claire. She didn't feel any less worried. Neither did Esme who still didn't say anything but held Claire's hand tighter.

"We are going to be moving." explained Daddy.

"Daddy got a new job." added Mommy.

For a minute both girls, just sat on the couch too stunned to move or say anything. They had lived in this house their whole lives They didn't want to move.

"Our new house will be bigger." Mommy told them. "You will be able to have your own rooms."

Suddenly Claire could see the silver lining. She didn't care about leaving her friends or going to a new a school or anything but getting a room of her own. She jumped out of her seat excitedly. "When are we moving?" she asked.

Esme glared at Claire. She didn't see anything good about moving at all. She liked the house they lived in now. She liked the room she had now. She liked sharing a room with Claire. She looked at Claire as though she were going to cry. "Are you that happy to be getting rid of me?" she asked. "Do you hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you at all " Claire assured her. "You're my little sister. I love you. I just don't want to share a room with you anymore. I need my space." She put her arms around Esme and hugged her. Esme still did not feel better and still did not smile.

Moving day arrived. To Claire, it felt like it had taken forever. To Esme, it felt much to soon.

Claire just loved her new room. It was big. It was full of yellow her favorite color. Best of all, there was not a trace of Esme or any of her stuff in it.

Esme had to admit she liked her room too. It was equally as big as Claire's but full of  purple which was her favorite color. As soon as she went in for the first time, she arranged all of her favorite stuffed animals on her bed to make herself feel more at home.

That night, Esme was nervous about spending her first night alone in a room without Claire.

"Don't worry. It will be fine." Claire assured her. "I will be right next door."

Claire and Mommy and Daddy all tucked Esme in together just to reassure her. Esme wanted it that way. "I'll miss sharing a room with you." she whispered to Claire when they tucked her in.

Claire was so excited to go to bed in her own room that she went to bed early. As soon as she got into her bed, and turned out the light, she started to see shadows on the wall. She got out of bed and went over to the window and looked out. She was sure it was just a branch blowing in the breeze on the tree outside her window, but she still felt nervous.

Then, she stared hearing creaking noise. She nervously looked all around including in her closet and under her bed, but she didn't see anything. She got back in bed, but suddenly her room felt big and dark and scary and she missed sharing a room with Esme. Since, she was sure Esme was feeling that same way, she decided she better go and check on her little sister.

She hurried into Esme's room and over to her bed. Esme was sound asleep in her bed with stuffed animals scattered all around her. "Esme?" whispered Claire. Esme didn't budge. "Esme?" Claire whispered a little louder. Still, Esme didn't budge. "Esme!" whispered Claire loudly poking Esme awake.

"What?" exclaimed Esme groggily waking with a jolt. "What do you want?" she asked Claire angrily through half closed eyes as she half woke up and saw her sister standing by her bed.

"Don't be like that." replied Claire defensively. "I was worried about you. I know you never really wanted to have your own room. Do you want to sleep in my room? Just this once."

Esme shook her head. "No, thanks." she replied.

"No?" asked Claire in surprise. "I thought you loved sharing a room with me?"

"I did," replied Esme "But now I have my own room and I love that too. It isn't as scary as I thought it would be. Thanks for checking on me, but you can go back to your room, Claire."

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep with me?" asked Claire nervously.

Esme narrowed her eyes and studied her sister's face. She knew something was up. "Are you afraid in your new room by yourself? Are you lonely? Do you need me to come and sleep with you?" she asked.

Claire blushed furiously in embarrassment. "Oh no." she mumbled. "I just thought you might need me."

"Okay. Climb in." said Esme welcomingly. She knocked some of the stuffed animals out of the bed and made room for Claire.

"Okay." agreed Claire eagerly climbing into the bed. "but, I am doing this for you."

Esme nodded.  "I know." she replied but she knew that wasn't true at all. She secretly smiled to herself.  She was so proud to be the brave one for once.

The Search for the Super Bowl

Today's story is by my daughter and I.


Everyone was talking about the Super Bowl. Ashlyn Kershaw had no idea what they were talking about. What was the super bowl?  What color was it? Was it plain or did it have a design? How big was it?

She went into the kitchen. Her mother was putting together bowls of snacks. "Which bowl is the super bowl?" asked Ashlyn pointing to all the bowls on the counter. "Is it one of these?"

Her mother just laughed and smiled thinking Ashlyn was kidding.

"I'm serious, mommy." insisted Ashlyn. "Where is the super bowl?" She started looking around in cabinets and drawers.

"The Super Bowl isn't in our house." replied Mommy.

Just then, Daddy entered the kitchen.  He'd been setting up food and drinks on a table in the living room. "We need more soda." he told Mommy. "I'm going to make a run to Target."

"Okay." replied Mommy.

"Can I come?" asked Ashlyn eagerly. Maybe, she could find the super bowl there.

At Target, Ashlyn kept looking for bowls. There were big bowls and small bowls and medium bowls. There were bowls of all different colors and designs. There were plastic bowls and ceramic bowls and paper bowls. It was all so overwhelming. Which one was the super bowl?

Daddy didn't pick any of the bowls at all. He just got soda and went to checkout.  Ashlyn was confused.

"What's the matter, Ashlyn?" asked her Dad noticing her confusion.

"Where is the super bowl?" asked Ashlyn looking all around.

Daddy laughed. "The Super Bowl is not at Target." he replied.

They went home. Daddy went into the living room with the soda. Then, he went into the kitchen to fill the ice bucket.

Ashlyn stayed in the living room with her brother, Alex.  "Were is the super bowl?" Ashlyn asked him.

"It's in California." replied Alex annoyed at being bothered. He didn't take his eyes off the TV screen.

Now, Ashlyn was really confused. California was really far away.  "How are we going to see the super bowl if it's in California?" she asked her brother.

"We're going to watch it on TV" " he declared impatiently as though it should have been obvious to Ashlyn.

"Oh." replied Ashlyn. Apparently, the super bowl was so super that you had to watch it on TV. It must be a really big bowl. She still couldn't understand why anyone would want to watch a bowl on TV anyway no matter how big it was.

Mommy and Daddy finished getting ready. A bunch of friends and family members came over for a big party. 'This must be a big cool important bowl' thought Ashlyn. 'It must be really super.'

They turned on the TV. Ashlyn kept looking for the Super Bowl but all she saw was a bunch of a guys playing football. "Where is the super bowl?" asked Ashlyn looking all over the screen and not seeing any bowls.

Alex looked at her like she was crazy. "It's right there." he said pointing to the screen.

"But that's just a football game." replied Ashlyn.

"The Super Bowl is a football game, dummy." explained Alex rudely.

Mommy gave him an angry look.

"Really?" Ashlyn asked Mommy. "The super bowl is a football game?"

"Yes, it is." replied her mother.

"That's boring." declared Ashlyn. "I'm going to find the candy bowl." Now that was a bowl she could understand, and  as far as she was concerned, it was much more super than a football game.

The Twenty Year Nap

Vanessa Ripa took her schoolwork very seriously. She took it more seriously than any other girl she knew. She took it more seriously than any other kid she knew. She was always always studying and hardly ever had any time for fun.

Her parents wished she would have a more rounded life. They wished she would get out and have a little fun sometimes. "You're a smart girl, Vanessa." her mom assured her. "You always do well in school. You can get by with a little less studying."

Vanessa frowned deeply. "I do well in school because I study." she pointed out.

"We're not telling you to stop studying." replied her father. "We are just saying you don't need to study all the time. After all, you are only going to be young once you should enjoy your youth."

"Yes." agreed her mother. "You need a little balance in your life. Go out make friends have fun."

"I have Wanda. " replied Vanessa. Wanda Irvine was Vanessa's best friend.  They often studied together.

"Yes, but do you and Wanda ever do anything fun together?" asked her father.

Vanessa bit her lip and thought about it. No, they really didn't. They mostly just studied together. It wasn't that Wanda never asked Vanessa to go and do something fun with her like go to the movies or play a game or whatever. It was just that Vanessa never wanted to.

As if she knew they were talking about her, Wanda suddenly appeared at the front door. "Hi Wanda." Vanessa greeted her cheerfully opening the front door to let her in. "Are you here to study?"

Wanda shook her head. "I'm going to watch my little brother play soccer at the park. Do you want to come?"

Vanessa shook her head. "Thanks for the invite." she replied sincerely, "but I'm swamped." she waved her hand around to indicate all her school books and papers spread out around the kitchen table where she'd been sitting.

Now, it was Wanda's turn to shake her head. "But it's Saturday, and we didn't even get that much homework this weekend."

"Well, you know," said Vanessa. "I don't want to get behind."

Wanda gave Vanessa a look of pity. She just couldn't understand Vanessa at all. How could anyone possibly study that much? "I guess I'll see you around." she replied sadly. She went off still shaking her head.

Vanessa sighed. Wanda just didn't understand her. Nobody did. It wasn't enough to just do good. She wanted to do the best she possibly could. She needed to do the best she possibly could. It was the most important thing in the world to her.

Vanessa studied for a while, but then she started having trouble concentrating. She looked out the window. It was a beautiful bright and sunny day. Maybe, she would go outside. She would do her studying out there. Maybe, the change of scenery and the warm air would help her concentrate.

She took her books and went outside and sat down on the lawn. It didn't help her to focus at all. In fact, it did quite the opposite. It made her sleepy. She started drifting off and before she knew it she was fast asleep.

She woke with a start when she heard the sound of singing. The voice sounded familiar. It was Wanda. Maybe, she was coming back to study. Vanessa ran down the path to meet her.

Then, suddenly she stopped in her tracks. The girl she saw looked sort of like Wanda, but not exactly, This girl's hair was longer and blonder and her eyes were bluer. "Wanda?" asked Vanessa uncertainly.

The girl smiled. "I get that all the time." she replied. "You must be looking for my mother, Wanda. I'm Winter. Everyone says we look alike. I don't see it though." She shook her head.

Vanessa's mouth flew open but not a sound came out. How long had she slept for? She was in a state of shock. She couldn't move. She couldn't talk. She couldn't do anything.

"Are you okay?" asked Winter. "You're not having a seizure or something, are you?" She started backing away.

Vanessa quickly closed her mouth and tried to gather her composure. "No. I'm fine. I'm just surprised at how much you look like your mother. I haven't seen her for a while." she explained. 'Or at least I guess I haven't seen her for a while'. she thought.

"Do you want me to tell her you said hello?" asked Winter.

"Sure." replied Vanessa uncertainly.

Winter didn't seem to notice Vanessa's hesitation. "And you're who ?" asked Winter in a friendly manner. "Just so I know who to tell my mother said hello." she explained.

"Vanessa Ripa." replied Vanessa.

"Great!" exclaimed Winter. "It was nice meeting you, Vanessa. I'll be sure and tell my mother you said hello." She waved to Vanessa and continued in the direction she had been heading.

Vanessa shook her head. What in the world was going on? She went off to find her mother and father. Maybe, they could tell her what was going on.

When she got to her house. The door was locked. That was strange. She hadn't locked it when she came out. She rang the bell but nobody answered.

Things were getting even stranger and by now, Vanessa was really frightened. She pounded on the door shouting. "Mommy! Daddy! Let me in!"

The door opened. Vanessa was about to sigh in relief when she noticed it was neither her mother or father. It was an old man, she didn't recognize. "What do you want?" the man asked angrily. "And why are you pounding on my door?"

"Daddy?" asked Vanessa. It couldn't be? Could it?  The man gazed at her in a familiar way. Now, she was sure it was her father. How did he get so old and where was Mommy? "Daddy." Vanessa repeated "Where is mommy?"she asked.

"Now you're just being cruel." replied the man even angrier than before. "I don't have any children anymore, and I no longer have a wife either. My wife died of a broken heart twenty years ago when our daughter, Vanessa disappeared."

"But Daddy. I'm Vanessa." insisted Vanessa.

The man slammed the door in Vanessa's face. Vanessa didn't know what else to do so she started running away. She ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore, and she collapsed on the ground.

When Vanessa woke up, she was in her bed. Mommy was there sitting beside her bed. "Mommy!" she exclaimed. "You're alive!"

Mommy looked at Vanessa strangely. "Well, why wouldn't I be?" she asked worriedly.

"No reason." replied Vanessa smiling. Then, she noticed her father was there too. "Daddy, you're young!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I hope so." replied her father with a smile.

"Never mind about him." replied her mother. "How are you? You had too much sun, and you fainted. That's why we brought you in the house, and put you in your bed."

Vanessa smiled happily. That explained everything. "I'm feeling a lot better." she declared. "In fact, I think I am going to go down to the park and see if I can find Wanda at her brother's soccer game." she announced sitting up and getting out of bed.

"That's great!" replied her mom in a combination of relieve because Vanessa was feeling okay and happiness because she was going to do something beside study.

"What made you change your mind about going?" asked her dad curiously.

"Well, you know, " replied Vanessa. "Twenty years can go by in the blink of any eye, and I guess I wouldn't really want to spend all of that time studying."

Vanessa ran off towards the park and left her parents staring after her still wondering about her sudden change of attitude.

The Little House

The Little House  was white with black shutters. It lived at the end of a block on a quiet street in a nice neighborhood. It had a nice family to live in it. There was a Mom and a Dad and three kids.

When the Mom and the Dad moved to the Little House, they didn't have any kids. There were just a young married couple settling in for their new life together. It made the Little House so happy to have them live in her rooms and take care of her.

At first the Mom and the Dad, who were not really the Mom and the Dad then because they didn't have any children, both worked. They were away a lot of the day. The Little House missed them, but she was really excited when they came home every night.

Then, the Older Brother came along, Only then he wasn't the Older Brother, he was the Baby. The Mom stayed home to take care of him. The Little House loved having the Mom and the Baby home all day. Of course, they did not stay home all day every day, but they were home a lot more than when the Mom and Dad both worked.

The Little House loved having a Baby around. She loved the sound of baby laughter. It was such a happy sound. She loved to be filled with happy sounds. She hated baby tears though. She didn't like sadness of any kind. It made her sad too.

When the Baby was about two along came, another Baby. This one was a girl, At first, she was the Little One but eventually she would become the Middle One. The Little House couldn't be happier with the new Baby. She loved to have babies around and she would like to have a nice big family living in her. The more the merrier, she truly believed.

It got a lot noisier and a lot busier in the Little House with two kids. The Little House just loved it. She wanted to be useful and she wanted her family to grow with her. She wanted them to have lots of happiness and build lots of great memories while they lived in her.

Eventually, it was time for the Big Brother to go to school. The Little House missed him but he always came home every day just like the Dad always came home from work. It was a little bit quieter without the Big Brother but not that much because the Mom and the new Baby were usually around.

Shortly, after the Big Brother started school, another baby came along. This one was another girl. She was truly the Baby because there wouldn't be another one after her. The Big Brother and the Middle Sister fought a lot but everyone adored the baby. The Little House loved her too. She loved all of the family. She didn't like it when they fought or argued or yelled. She liked it much better when they loved each other and got along with each other.

The Little House watched the children grow from little babies in their parents arms to toddlers waddling around in diapers to little kids chasing around to big kids walking around. They seemed to grow by leaps and bounds and get bigger every day. She loved watching them grow.

Finally, there came a time when the Little House seemed too little for the family. The kids were all bigger and taller and older. They took up more space. They had more things too, and they needed more room.

When they talked about moving, it made the Little House very sad. She loved her family, She didn't want them to leave her. It made the family sad to think of moving too. They loved their Little House. It was the only house the kids had known.

Still, it was time and the family had to move on. The Little House was so sad when they finally packed up their stuff and moved. She didn't think that she could ever be happy again. However, she wasn't empty for a long. Another young couple just starting their life together soon moved into the house. The Little House was so happy and excited when they moved in. She would have another family to live in her rooms and take care of her. She would have another family to watch grow. She missed her old family but they would always be a part of her as she would be a part of them, but life would go on for the Little House with her new family just as it would go on for the family in their new house.

Sophia Can't Sleep

Tomorrow was going to be an exciting day for Sophia Darrow. She would be going to see the ballet, Cinderella.  She was really excited. She knew she needed plenty of sleep so she decided to go to bed early. She quickly got her favorite purple striped pajamas on and brushed her teeth and hair. Then, she said "Good night." to her Mom and Dad kissed them each on the cheek.

"Going to bed so early?" They asked in surprise.

Sophia nodded. "I want to get plenty of sleep for my big day tomorrow." she told them happily. Mommy and Daddy smiled at Sophia's excitement.

Sophia hurried into her room. She climbed up into her bed and pulled her big fluffy pink blanket up to her chin. She shut her eyes but she just couldn't fall asleep.

After a little while, she figured maybe it was just too early for her to go to sleep because she wasn't used to it. She turned on her light, got out her book and read for a little bit. When she felt like she was starting to get tired, she put her book away and turned off the light. She crawled back under the covers.

Still sleep wouldn't come. After a half hour of trying, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She couldn't believe that didn't put her to sleep. That had to be one of the most boring things in the world to do.

She decided to count sheep. By the time she got to one hundred and she still hadn't fall asleep, she gave that up. She tried doing things that would make her brain tired like saying the alphabet backwards or doing complex math problems in her head. Those things didn't help either.

She got out of bed and went in Mommy and Daddy's room.

"What's the matter?" asked Daddy full of concern.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Mommy worriedly.

Sophia nodded. "I'm feeling fine. I just can't sleep."

"You're probably just over excited about tomorrow." said Daddy.

"I'll make you some warm milk." Mommy told her. She led Sophia into the kitchen and heated up some milk on the stove. The thought of drinking warm milk disgusted Sophia. She hardly even liked to drink milk that had been sitting around for a few minutes at room temperature. However, she was willing to try anything. When Mom handed her the glass of warm milk, she still thought it was gross, but she drank the whole thing.

Mommy smiled and took the empty glass from Sophia and put it in the dishwasher. "There!" she said. "I'm sure you'll be sleeping in no time." She walked Sophia back to her room and tucked her in. Sophia pulled up the covers and closed her eyes again.

After another half hour of lying there and not being able to sleep again, Sophia opened her eyes and sat up again. Maybe, some soothing music would help her to sleep. She turned on the radio softly. However, the stations were playing really loud upbeat music tonight and Sophia couldn't find anything that helped her sleep.

After a while, she turned off the radio and went back to Mommy and Daddy's room. By now, they were both fast sleep even if  Sophia wasn't. 'Well at least they can sleep' she thought jealously. She quickly tiptoed back to her own room.

In her room, she got back into her bed. She tried to relax and sleep, but she just couldn't. She figured she was trying too hard. She decided to just lie in bed and think until she got tired enough to sleep. That took longer than Sophia thought it would. By the time, she finally started drifting off to sleep, it was starting to get light outside.

"Come on, honey. It's time to go." Sophia's mother's voice broke into her sleep what felt like and probably was only a few hours later. Sophia groggily dragged herself out of bed and got dressed. She practically fell asleep when she was brushing her teeth.

Mommy and Sophia got into the car to head to the Civic Center to see the ballet. Daddy wasn't going with them. He hated the ballet.

Sophia wanted to sleep in the car but she couldn't because the noise outside the car was so loud. There was loud construction going on and horns blaring and all kinds of other noise. To Sophia, it seemed much noisier than usual like she was being punished for not having slept.

Finally, they arrived at the Civic Center and went inside. Mommy bought Sophia a program, and they were quickly ushered to their seats. Soon, the auditorium was full. The orchestra started playing and the ballet started. The music was so sweet and soothing not at all like the noise of the traffic.

At the intermisson, Mommy asked Sophia. "How are you enjoying the ballet so far, honey?" Sophia didn't answer. "Sophia?" said Mommy. Sophia still didn't answer. Mommy looked at Sophia. Sophia's eyes were closed and she let out a loud snore. She was fast asleep.

A True Princess

Once there was a man and he wanted to marry a special kind of woman. He wanted a woman who had a mind of her own and wouldn't just blindly say what she thought he wanted to hear. A woman who had fine and expensive tastes. She would only shop in high-end department stores and would never set foot in a Walmart or  a Target. She would never  be found in the kitchen when she could just as easily order food to be delivered. Of course, her preferred method of dining would be to eat out and only at the finest restaurants. The words fast food would never cross her lips.

The man was a very eligible young bachelor indeed. He was handsome. He was smart. He had plenty of money. He would need plenty of money to support the type of wife he was looking for.

All of the girls in the town who were old enough for marriage wanted to marry the young man. He wanted to take his time and make sure he was choosing the right one. He began lining up dates one at time.  With all of his dates, he went through same ritual to see if the woman was right for him.

First, he would dress up in the most hideous clothes. They weren't made well and they were faded and thin. He had gotten them from some bargain store. When he picked up his dates, they would stare at his clothes for a minute, and then quickly look away. "Do you like my outift?" he would ask eagerly.

"Oh, it's lovely." They would say whether they really liked it or not. The outfit was so dreadful that he didn't know how anyone could like it.

"Where would you like to go to eat?" he would asked but before a woman could answer he would exclaim as though he had just thought of it. "I know! Let's go to my house, and I will cook you one of my gourmet burgers!"

"Okay.'" The woman would reply eagerly.

He would bring her to his house and sit her in his dining room  uncomfortable chair with hardly any cushioning. Then, he would disappear into his kitchen to prepare the meal while she waited. "The recipe is a family secret passed down from generation to generation." he would explain as he would go into the kitchen and shut the adjoining door.

Then, after he had hung around the kitchen for a while doing nothing, He would take a McDonald's burger and put it on a plate and heat it up. He would put it on a  plastic plate, take it out and place it in front of the woman. "I hope you like it." he would say eagerly.

The woman would take a bite. Her eyes would raise a little. "Do you like it?" He would ask hopefully.

"Oh. It's delicious." they would say, and they would force themselves to eat every bite.

The end of every date would be the same as well. The man would be very disappointed that the woman was not the right one for him. He would promise to call, but he never would. He would just move on to the next one.

One day a new woman moved to town. The young man quickly made her acquaintance and asked her out on a date. At first, she played hard to get but then finally she agreed to go out with him. When he picked her up for their date she took one look at his clothes and declared "You call that an outfit? Where did you get that the sales rack at Sears?"

The man smiled but refused to let his hopes get up. "Why, yes I did." he replied.

"You ought to let me take you shopping." suggested the woman. "I'll show you how to dress have you been to Lord & Taylor or Saks Fifth Avenue?"When the man pretended as though he had never heard of those stores, the woman replied "Well, you ought to."

The man smiled even brighter, but he didn't reply. Inside, his heart was beating rapidly with excitement. Could this woman really be the one - the woman of his dreams?

When  the man whipped  out one of his alleged gourmet burgers and put it in front of her, at first she just stared at the cheap ugly plastic  plate. "Another bargain purchase?" she inquired. "Oh, honey. You really need help shopping." she declared as she quickly shifted uncomfortably in her scarcely padded seat.

The woman took a bite of her burger. She quickly spit it out. "Gourmet burger, my foot!" she shouted. "Secret family recipe?" she mumbled shaking her head. What is this fast food?" she asked. "I bet this tastes like a  burger a person could get at McDonald's." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

The man's heart overflowed with joy. He knew she was the woman for him. She was a true princess. He quickly knelt by her side. "Will you marry me?" he asked happily taking out the diamond ring he always carried in his pocket hopefully.

The woman stared at the ring for a minute. It was big and beautiful and shined like the sun. However, she couldn't see herself forever stuck with a man such as this. He had too much to learn, and she wanted a man who was already trained and prepared to share the finer life with her. "I'm sorry." she replied apologetically. "You're just not the man for me."

Lazy Lulu

The bright morning sunshine streamed through Lulu Morgan's window, but Lulu did not bother getting out of bed. After a few minutes, her Mom came in the room. Mommy shook her head at Lulu. "Lulu," she scolded, "Aren't you going to get up? It's a beautiful day. Come have breakfast."

Lulu shook her head. "I think I'll just stay in bed." she replied.

A little bit later delicious smells drifted up from the kitchen. It smelled like cheesy eggs, Lulu's favorite.However, Lulu still didn't get out of bed. She just turned over and went back to sleep.

After breakfast, Lulu's dad came into her room. He couldn't understand how Lulu could waste such as beautiful day. "Come on, get up." he urged. "You can come with me to the store."

Lulu scrunched up her nose and glared at her father. "Why would I want to do that?" she asked.

"Because maybe afterwards we can go to the park." suggested Daddy.

Lulu thought about it for a about a minute, but then decided she still didn't want to. "No, thanks." she said.

 At lunch time. Mommy came in again. "Aren't you hungry yet? " she inquired of Lulu. "Aren't you ready to get up?"

Lulu was a little bit hungry. but her bed was just so warm and cozy. "No, I'm not ready to get up." she replied.

Lulu was so lazy. She stayed in her bed all day and wouldn't come out. When she heard kids playing outside, she wouldn't come out. When she smelled the delicious dinner her mother had made. she wouldn't come out. No matter how much Mommy and Daddy begged and pleaded Lulu just wouldn't come out of her room.

"I'll get up when I'm ready." she assured them

"When will that be?" asked her mother. She did not understand how a person could be in a bed for a whole day if they weren't even sick. "Are you okay?" she repeatedly asked as she tried to take Lulu's temperature.

"I'm fine, Mommy." insisted Lulu ducking away from her mother.

Finally, it was night time. Mommy went to see Lulu. Lulu smiled brightly and bounced up out of her bed.

"What are you doing? asked Mommy accusingly.

"I'm getting up now." replied Lulu. "Just like you've wanted me to all day"

"Oh, no you're not." insisted Mommy.

Lulu shook her head. "You want me to get up, you don't want me to get up. Make up your mind."

"I don't want you to get up. It's too late."

"No, it isn't. "  stated Lulu getting ready to climb out of  bed. "Why is it too late?"

"It' s too late because it's bed time!" replied Mom.